


Spark Bond

by Applepye



Series: Transformers G1 [1]
Category: The Transformers (Cartoon Generation One), Transformers Generation One
Genre: AU, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Seekers, Transformer Sparklings, Transformers Plug and Play Sexual Interfacing, Transformers Spark Bonds, valve/plug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-10
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-07-14 07:35:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7160297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Applepye/pseuds/Applepye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Starscream finds himself in a predicament when he falls in love with Rumble while in an abusive relations ship with Megatron. </p><p>Warning: Abusive relationship. Angst. Evil Megarton.</p><p>So, this kind of turned into a chapter fic that highlights different Cybertronians as a story unfolds.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Starscream

“What are you doing out here?” Starscream demanded. 

Rumble was sitting with is legs dangling over a cliff, looking out over the horizon. He turned his head to look back at Starscream. The Seeker leader stood with his arms crossed, hoping it was enough to convey how annoyed he was. Rumble looked unimpressed and turned to look back out over the horizon. “I’m watching the sun set.”

“Why?” Starscream moved to stand next to Rumble. He looked out over the horizon in an attempt to see what it was that held the mini bot’s attention. 

“Because it’s nice to look at,” Rumble answered, bending his knees and wrapping his arms around them. “I like the way the sky changes colors. It’s like nothing we have back home on Cybertron. Afterwards, when all the light is gone, I like to lay back and look up at the stars.”

“We could see the stars on Cyberton.” Starscream scoffed. “And we saw enough stars on our way out here to last a lifetime. Why do you want to look at them now?”

“You got to see the stars,” Rumble corrected without looking away from the horizon. “Back on Cyberton I was hardly ever let out of the mines. When I was, there was so much light pollution that I couldn’t see the stars. On our way here, Megatron ordered Soundwave to keep us cassettes in stasis in his cassis to conserve energon. We were let out for the fight with the Autobots. So I didn’t get much of a chance to admire the stars.”

Starscream sighed. “I didn’t come out here to hear you complain about how unfair life was for you back on Cyberton.”

With a knowing smile, Rumble gave Starscream a sideways glance. “Why did you come out here, looking for me?”

Unamused, Starscream kicked at Rumble. “Who said I came out here looking for you?” He wasn’t about to admit the real reason he was there. At least not out loud.

Rumble sighed. “Then why are you here?”

“Apparently wasting my time,” Starscream mumbled, dropping his arms to his side. 

Rumble reached up and grabbed Starscream’s hand. “Stay and watch the sunset with me. I’ll make it worth your time.”

“Please.” Starscream pulled his hand away. “What could you do for me?”

Rumble leaned back and smirked. “I made that pretty clear a few megacycles ago.”

“Oh did you?” Starscream shot back with a slight laugh as he turned to leave. “I don’t remember that ever happening.” He loved to play hard to get, it got the energon flowing. If a bot wanted to be with him they had to work for it. “How can a little thing like you…?”

Before Starscream was able to finish his jab, Rumble struck the rocky ground with one of his pistons. The resulting tremor knocked Starscream off his feet. It wasn’t long after Starscream hit the ground that the stout mini-con was on top of him, pinning him down. It still amazed Starscream how much strength could come from such a small bot. 

“Let me remind you,” Rumble growled, dropping his hand down between them to get at Starscream’s valve. 

One strong hand held Starscream down while the other stimulated his node. Starscream struggled against the small bot but never told him to stop. He couldn’t willingly submit to Rumble no matter how much he wanted it. And Rumble seemed willing to play along. 

As soon as Starscream’s valve opened up, Rumble wasted no time ramming his spike inside him. Starscream’s inner walls were more than willing to accept the intrusion. Lubricant was already flowing from his quaking hole. 

There was a human saying that came to mind when Starscream was with Rumble. ‘It’s not the size that matters but how well you use it.’ Rumble’s spike was a decent size for a mini-con but still small compared to an average sized mech. Despite that, he was able to please Starscream in ways that no other bot ever could and Starscream has had quite a few lovers in his life. 

There was something different about Rumble that Starscream couldn’t put his finger on. Maybe it was because Rumble kept his thumb rubbing Starscream’s node the whole time they fragged. Maybe it was his incredible endurance that came from being a mine worker the majority of his life. Maybe it was his sheer determination. Whatever it was, it had Starscream digging his fingers into the hard ground as he reached his first of many overloads. They were so strong that they seemed to surge straight to his spark. And Starscream’s spark continued to flutter during the downtimes between overloads. 

Then it happened. During a particularly intense overload, Starscream’s chest plate opened, exposing his spark. He lay there, with his head reeling and his life essence exposed and vulnerable. He was in such a good place that didn’t even care. He trusted Rumble not to do anything to harm him. 

Rumble moved up Starscream’s body to look down at the exposed spark. Slowly he moved up more so that he could look Starscream in the optics. That was when Starscream noticed that Rumble’s spark was also exposed. Instinctively, Starscream’s hand came up to hold Rumble back. 

“I won’t force this,” Rumble said, pulling back a little. He shook his head. “Not this.”

Starscream hesitated. Spark touch was rare and incredibly intimate. But his pulsating spark demanded that he let go of his inhibitions and allow the connection to happen. So, with their optics locked, Starscream dropped his hand and nodded his head, giving his silent consent. 

Interfacing with another bot and reaching overload was amazing but it was a minor surge in comparison to a spark touch. The spark was the essence of their being and when two sparks touched that essence was shared and the rest of the world seemed to fade away. It truly felt like it was overloading his systems. 

Starscream didn’t want it to end but at the same time he didn’t know how much more he could take. It felt like his mind was ready to shut down or explode. Just when he couldn’t take anymore and was about to shove Rumble off, their sparks retracted and their breast plated closed. 

Going limp, Rumble rolled off of Starscream to lie next to him. Energon was coursing through Starscream’s body so fast that it was heating his core and his intake valve labored to suck in adequate air to cool him. Rumble didn’t sound any better. 

“I’ve never spark touched before,” Rumbel mumbled. 

“Neither have I,” Starscream admitted. 

Rumbel lifted himself up on shaky arms to look at Starscream. “Really?”

Starscream was hurt. “Why does that surprise you?”

“I know I’m not the first bot you’ve been with.” Rumble cringed when Starscream shot him a piercing glare. “Well… I mean, you and Megatron….”

Starscream sat up and rested his arms on his knees. His head was spinning and he felt drained. He was going to have to spend a few hours in his berth just to recover. “My being with Megatron isn’t entirely a choice.”

“Then why don’t you…?” Rumble trailed off, knowing the answer to the question. Starscream couldn’t simply tell Megatron ‘No’. 

“It doesn’t matter.” Starscream got to his feet and then had to sit back down. He wanted to storm off but he hadn’t recovered enough yet. 

“Starscream… I… want you to know….” Rumble reached out and placed his hand over Starscream’s. 

Starscream looked down at him in disbelief and the look on Rumble’s face caused Starscream to panic. Was Rumble about to confess his love? “No don’t.” Starscream pulled his hand away, ignoring the pained look that overcame Rumble’s face. “Don’t you dare.”

Ignoring Starscream’s protests, Rumble reached up and pulled him down into a kiss. Why couldn’t Starscream bring himself to pull away Instead of melting into the kiss? 

“Rumble.”

Soundwave’s monotone voice had the pair quickly pulling a part. The communications officer was practically standing next to them. How had he gotten so close without them knowing?

Though still a little unsteady, Rumble managed to get to his feet. “Hey, boss. What’s up?”

“Megatron has ordered you and the other cassettes to return to stasis,” Soundwave stated, pressing the button on his shoulder. 

Rumble took a step back. “Why?”

“Energon reserves are low,” Soundwave simply replied. 

Rumble looked back over the horizon. The sun had set long ago. He had missed the last sunset he would be able to see for who knows how long. “I guess some things never change.” After one last look at Starscream, Rumble transformed and entered the tap deck. 

Soundwave turned to leave and, panic stricken, Starscream scurried to stand. “Soundwave, wait. About what you just saw….”

Pausing mid step, Soundwave turned to look at him. “I know what Megatron would do to Rumble if he knew. I will say nothing.”

That was a relief. “Thank you.”

Soundwave continued on his way. “I am not doing it for you.”

Alone, Starscream looked up into the night’s sky. Out, away from all of the light pollution, the stars could be clearly seen. It was a beautiful sight. It saddened him that Rumble couldn’t be there with him. 

Reaching up, Starscream placed his hand over his breast plate. His spark was still fluttering. How was it that Rumble was able to affect him so much?

…….

Even though he had spent over ten cycles in his berth Starscream still felt drained. He had no idea that a spark touch would have such a lingering effect on him. Reaching up, he placed his hand over this spark chamber. It still felt like it was fluttering. 

Why was he so tired? Just to make sure, he double checked his berth for any tampering. It looked to be in working order so there had to be another reason for his exhaustion. Starscream needed to make sure that nothing was wrong so he headed to the medical bay. 

There were few bots that Starscream trusted and his Seeker brothers were among those numbers. So when he walked into the medical bay and saw Thundercracker, Starscream did not hesitate to ask for help. 

“Can you run a diagnostic on me?”

Thundercracker looked Starscream over. “You need to spend a few cycles in your berth.”

“I just got up,” Starscream replied, clutching his hand over his spark chamber. “That’s why I need you to check to see if there is anything wrong.”

“Up on the table,” Thundercracker said with a slight gesture. 

As Starscream got himself situated on the table, Thundercracker went over to the controls. The machine hummed to life and the scanning eye above Starscream started to move. It made a total of two passes over his body and then stopped. 

“Uh, Starscream,” Thundercracker said, looking over his shoulder. “You’re gonna wanna look at this.”

“Is it bad?” Starscream asked as he struggled to get to his feet. 

“Depends on your definition of bad,” Thundercracker replied. 

Starscream made his way over to the display screen to have a look. It took him a minute to register what he was looking at. It felt like a huge weight landed on his shoulders as he realized what it was. His hand came up to once again rest over his spark chamber. “Are those Sparklings?”

Thundercracker nodded and Starscream’s legs buckled, causing him to sit heavily on the ground. He was carrying twin Sparklings. Creating a Sparkling was rare enough, twin Sparklings were almost unheard of. 

“Who’s the sire?” Thundercracker asked. 

“Not Megatron,” Starscream answered, still clutching his chest. “He’s gonna kill them and then me.”

“I can remove them,” Thundercracker offered. “They’re still small and orbiting your spark and haven’t started forming pods yet, it’s not too late.”

Resting his back against the large computer, Starscream curled up, resting his head between his knees. He didn’t want to kill the infant sparks but he couldn’t risk Megatron finding out. Something like this couldn’t be kept from him for long. 

“I don’t need to kill them,” Thundercracker added as if he could read Starscream’s thoughts. “I can lock them in stasis.”

Starscream looked up at his friend. “For how long?”

Thundercracker shrugged. “Indefinitely.”

“Alright.” Starscream nodded and got to his feet. “Do it.” A plan was already forming in his mind. There was a way he could keep the Sparklings and protect himself at the same time. He wasn’t going to like it but he had willing suffered through worse for much less. 

…..

Starscream hoped that Megatron was in one of his better moods. They were few and far between ever since they had crash landed on this pile of organic rock. The Autobots, with the help of the humans, have managed to thwart the Decepticons at every turn and they were running low on energon. This tended to put Megatron in a foul mood. Their few victories were not enough to keep him happy. But if Starscream’s plan was going to work, Megatron had to participate. 

He found the Decepticon leader in his personal office. It was a good start. At least they were alone. 

Megatron was sitting at his desk, reading over reports when Starscream entered. The Seeker couldn’t tell what kind of moon Megatron was in. The bot never smiled, his face was stuck in a permanent scowl. “What do you want, Starscream?” Megatron asked without looking up. “I’m busy.”

Starscream pressed the button on the control panel next to the door to lock it. “You’ve been under a lot of stress lately. So I was wondering if you would like to take a little break.”

Megatron’s red optics shifted to look up at Starscream. “Why? What are you up to?” 

“What?” Starscream chuckled. “I’m not allowed to come to you and offer a much needed distraction. There’s gotta be some hidden agenda behind it?” 

“Knowing you,” Megatron stood up, “yes.”

“Well sorry to disappoint.” Starscream pushed down his fear and managed a smile. “I’m here because you’ve be neglecting me and I’m in the mood for a good fragging. And I was hoping that you would be too.”

As Starscream spoke, Megatron made his way around his desk. He closed the distance between them and by the time Starscream was done talking, Megatron was standing a hair’s breadth from him. Starscream knew better than to back up. This was not the time or place to show Megatron fear. Instead, Starscream leaned forward for a kiss. 

It was one of the human customs that they ended up adapting themselves to perform. There was something about the act that excited the spark. 

Megatron reached up to wrap his hand around Starscream’s neck. It was a simple gesture that said, ‘One wrong move and I will end you’ and that he was the one in control. Megatron was never one to trust others. 

He led Starscream over to the desk and pushed him down on his back. Starscream’s legs parted to allow Megatron access. The self-proclaimed lord of all Decepticons wasted no time ripping off the panel protecting Starscream’s valve. Megatron’s forceful entry reminded Starscream that he was only concerned for his own pleasure. All Starscream could do was relax and hope he would get something out of the interface. 

It wasn’t long before Starscream’s body produced enough lubrication to ease the intrusion and it started to feel good. It wasn’t as good as it was when he was with Rumble but it was still enjoyable. Starscream thought about the smaller Decepticon, imagining him thrusting inside his slick valve. It helped. 

But pleasure wasn’t the only reason Starscream was here. He willed his chest plate open, exposing his spark. Megatron stopped moving and tightened his grip on Starscream’s neck. “What are you doing?”

“It… just… happened,” Starscream choked out. 

Megatron looked down into Starscream’s spark chamber and with his free hand, circled a finger around the spark casing. It took every ounce of control Starscream had to keep it open. “You’re not trying to con me into opening my spark chamber?”

Starscream did his best to shake his head. “Not at all.”

Megatron leaned forward, pressing close before opening his chest plating to reveal his spark. There was no way Starscream was going to be able to get to Megatron’s spark. One move and Megatron would kill him so Starscream stayed perfectly still. 

Megatron was able to continue thrusting into Starscream while their sparks touched. Starscream’s head spun. It was hard to enjoy something while fearing for his life, but Starscream was able to achieve overload. 

Megatron pulled back, closing his chest panels in the process. “That was enjoyable.”

“I’ve never felt anything like it,” Starscream panted, wishing Megatron would remove his hand from his neck. “We should do it again some time.”

“Next time, you’ll be strapped down,” Megatron growled. 

“Of course,” Starscream replied. When the pressure was removed from his neck, Starscream waited for a few moments before getting up. He didn’t want to look to eager to leave. 

“Get out,” Megatron snapped while he placed his front panel back on. “I’ve got work to do.”

Starscream bowed his head. “Yes, Lord Megatron.” He moved over to retrieve his valve panel from the floor. 

“Leave it,” Megatron stated as if it were an empty cup. 

Without another word, Starscream left without the panel and quickly made his way back to his room. He ignored the sneers and whispers from the Decepticons he passed. It wasn’t the first time Megatron had made him do a ‘walk of shame’ and it won’t be the last. One day, Starscream swore to himself, he was going to kill Megatron. 

…..

“Megatron, there is something I have to tell you,” Starscream announced as he entered the room. He paused in the doorway when he realized that they were not alone. Three other Decepticons, including Soundwave were also there. Starscream started to back out of the room. “I’ll come back.”

“You’ve already interrupted,” Megatron snapped. “What is it?”

There was no backing out now. Starscream walked forward a few steps and then placed his hand over his spark chamber. “When I came back online after several cycles in my berth I was still tired so I went to the medical bay to run a diagnostic.”

Megatron’s optics flared in anger. “Is there a point?”

“I discovered two Sparklings orbiting my spark,” Starscream replied in haste. 

Megatron approached him. “Show me.”

With a slight nod of his head, Starscream opened his chest panels and exposed his spark. While Megatron leaned in to look at the twin Sparklings, Starscream looked up at Soundwave. It was hard to read the communications officer’s face but Starscream had no doubt that he knew the truth. 

“Twin Sparklings,” Megatron said in wonder. He looked Starscream in the optics and grabbed the back of Starscream’s head, holding him close. “This proves your loyalty to me. I knew that, given time and the right training this would happen.”

“I knew you would be pleased,” Starscream smiled. 

“I am,” Megatron replied and then released Starscream. “Go treat yourself to some extra energon and spend as much time in your berth as you need. You need to keep up your strength until they are strong enough to enter pods.”

“Yes, Lord Megatron.” Starscream bowed his head. “Thank you.”

….

Starscream came back online to the sensation of someone sucking on his plug and vocalized his pleasure. It took a moment for his processors to realize that he should have been alone. He kept his room secured so no one should have been able to get in. Fortunately he kept his null-ray on at all times. 

Sitting up in his berth, Starscream pointed his null-ray at the head of the bot between his legs and was surprised to see Rumble. The smaller bot looked up at Starscream and smiled. “You don’t like it?”

Starscream looked around his room. “How did you get in here? I thought you were supposed to be in stasis.”

“I have my ways,” Rumble replied and then licked up the length of Starscream’s plug. “Soundwave’s given us a cycle. So let’s make the best of it.” He moved up Starscream to straddle his plug and then started to lower himself down. 

Starscream looked down between them. “What are you doing?” 

“I’m gonna ride your plug,” Rumble grunted. 

“There’s no way it will fit.” Starscream lifted Rumble up. “At least not without hurting you.” Rumble looked down in defeat. “That doesn’t mean that we can’t have fun,” Starscream said as he turned Rumble around. “Just keep using your mouth.”

It wasn’t often that Starscream got some plug play, never with Megatron. So it was a nice change of pace. To reward Rumble for the rare treat, Starscream started to finger his valve while thumbing over his node, causing Rumble to squirm and moan. 

They continued in this manner, relishing in the subtle pleasure until they achieved a modest yet satisfying overload. Starscream hummed in delight. “That was a good way to start the day.”

Wiping his mouth, Rumble turned around. “We still have some time. Do you wanna try for a spark touch again?”

“I can’t,” Starscream replied, reaching up to wipe some stray fluid from Rumble’s chin. 

“Why?”

In response, Starscream opened his spark chamber to show Rumble the two Sparklings that were still orbiting his spark. 

Rumble looked down at them in disbelief. “Did we make those?”

“Yeah.” Starscream smiled up at him. 

The wonder on Rumbles face faded into fear. “But… Megatron.”

“It’s okay,” Starscream soothed. “I took care of it. He thinks they’re his.”

“You….” Rumble shook his head. The pain in his voice cut Starscream to the core. “The only way he would think they are his is if you did a spark touch with him.” Rumble got off the berth and headed for the door. “I should have known better than to fall in love with someone like you.”

“Wait,” Starscream said a little more forcefully than he had intended but he was mad. Rumble had stopped moving but kept his back to Starscream. 

Starscream got off the berth and walked over to Rumble. “I didn’t like it. I did what I had to do to give them a chance. If I hadn’t Megatron would have killed them the moment he found out and then he would have gone after you.” After a moment of internal struggle, Starscream dropped to his knees and admitted to the one thing he never thought he would. “I would never forgive myself because, as dangerous as it is, I love you.”

Rumble turned to face Starscream and then ran back over to him. They sat on the floor, embracing each other in solemn silence. Starscream had never before desired Megatron’s death as much as he did in that moment. 

…..

Starscream didn’t know if his frame could take any more. The twin sparks had moved down his chassis to his midsection and was pulling resources from him to create pods. A modest amount of mineral consumption was a natural part of a Cybertronian’s diet in order to maintain self-repair of minor wounds. But, thanks to the duo of infant sparks, Starscream was craving minerals in vast quantities. 

Consuming minerals wasn’t as pleasant as drinking energon and the minerals they managed to find on Earth wasn’t the same as the ones they mined from the asteroids that orbited Cybertron. Starscream feared them to be inferior but he didn’t really have a choice. If he didn’t eat the sparklings would take what they needed from him. 

The foul tasting minerals were the least of his problems. He couldn’t transform, so he was grounded, and he had to spend the majority of his time in his berth. Creating life was exhausting. Starscream didn’t think it could get any worse. 

That was before the pods were ready to come out. 

He was recharging when the pain shot through him, causing all of his systems to come back online at once. “Never again,” he grunted as he curled in on himself in his berth. “I am never touching sparks with anyone ever again.”

It was almost too much to bear. 

He didn’t want to be alone but he didn’t dare call Rumble. As much as he didn’t like it if he didn’t call Megatron to witness this moment then he would never hear the end of it. 

With a trembling hand, Starscream reached up to his communications device. “Lord Megatron.”

“I’m a little busy right now, Starscream,” came Megatron’s annoyed reply. “What is it?”

“The pods are coming,” Starscream answered. 

“I’m on the other side of the world,” Megatron told him. “I won’t be able to make it in time. Have Soundwave help you. He’s been through the process. I’ll see them when I return.” Starscream didn’t have a chance to reply before the connection was severed. 

Another wave a pain overcame him as the pods continued to shift. It felt like they were taking the majority of his internal systems with them on their way out. Starscream waited for the wave of pain to subside before attempting to contact Soundwave. 

In hopes of alleviating some pain, he positioned himself so that he was sitting on his knees, leaning forward with his head on his hands, braced against the wall. Then, once again, he reached up to activate his communications device. “Soundwave.”

“Go ahead,” Soundwave replied. 

“The pods are coming,” Starscream said, grunting in pain. “Megatron’s not here and I don’t want to do this alone.”

There was no reply. 

It seemed, whether he wanted to or not, this was something he was going to have to do by himself. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do. If he had been back on Cybertron, the sparks would have been removed from him and placed in Vector Sigma and later placed in protoforms once they were mature enough. Sparklings were high maintenance and vulnerable so allowing the infant sparks to develop pods within their creator’s frame was uncommon, even before the war. So Starscream was unable to find any decent information on the process. He hoped that whatever was supposed to happen happened naturally. 

The swooshing sound of the door opening had Starscream looking up. Soundwave did come. The pile of slag could have said something instead of letting Starscream worry. 

As soon as the door closed, Rumble ejected and rushed to Starscream’s side. “It’ll be okay,” he soothed, placing a comforting hand on Starscream’s back. 

Having Rumble there was comforting. Starscream reached out and grabbed hold of Rumble’s other hand. Looking up at Soundwave, Starscream asked, “Any advice?”

“No,” Soundwave replied flatly. 

Starscream held Rumble’s hand tighter as another wave of pain coursed through him. He knew where they were going to come out, and he wasn’t looking forward to it. The valve can only stretch so far. He had interfaced with a bot who had a large spike before and that had caused him pain. These pods were supposed to be bigger. 

“You’ve been through this,” Starscream said. “Help me. Tell me what to do.”

“Endure pain,” Soundwave stated. 

“Thanks for nothing,” Starscream groaned. Wanting a distraction from the pain, Starscream attempted conversation. “You created Rumble and Frenzy. Correct? Were they created at the same time?”

“Yes,” Soundwave answered. 

“Who’s their sire?” When Soundwave did not answer, Starscream asked, “Do I know him?”

“We don’t even know,” Rumble stated after a long silence. 

Starscream shifted his gaze to look at Rumble. “How old are you?” It had never occurred to ask him before. 

“Three million,” Rumble replied. 

Rumble was less than half Starscream’s age. “You’re young.” Starscream managed a weak smile. “That explains a lot.”

“You’re the only bot I’ve ever been with,” Rumble smiled back.

Although it was not Rumble’s intention, that confession caused a wave of guilt to wash over Starscream. 

The conversation ended when the pain intensified, radiating down his legs and up his back. His insides twisted as the two pods seemed to racing to be the first one out. 

Looking down at the floor, Starscream realized that he was sitting in a pool of fluids. He hadn’t realized that he had been leaking any. He was in pain and exhausted. It was quickly becoming too much to bear. “Get out of me!” Starscream yelled. 

He heard the thud of the first pod hitting the ground, quickly followed by the second. Exhaustion took over and Starscream started to fall over. He was offline before he hit the ground. 

…..

When Starscream came back online, he was in his berth. He looked over to see that a tray of small energon cubes had been placed on a table next to him. He sat up slowly and reached out for one of the cubes. It wasn’t until after he had finished the first cube that he realized that he wasn’t alone. 

Megatron stood, looking at the two pods. “Now that you are no longer carrying the sparklings, I expect you to return to your duties,” Megatron said without looking up. 

“Of course,” Starscream replied with a nod. “I’m actually eager to fly again. Being grounded for so long was torture.”

“Good.” Megatron turned to face Starscream. “Finish your energon. You leave tonight.”

…..

It took a meta-cycle for the pods to show signs of opening. The basic code within the sparks had needed time to design the sparklings’ forms. Now soft metallic chirps could be heard coming from within the pods, causing Starscream’s instincts to kick in. 

Once again he was allotted more energon so that he would be able to feed the hatchlings once they emerged. The inside of his cockpit had changed in anticipation, creating a place for them to be sheltered as they latched on to their creator. 

Starscream sat watching the pods as they shifted in their incubators. Soon he will be able to hold his little creations. 

Megatron hovered in the background, pacing back and forth, waiting for them to emerge. Sadly, Rumble was unable to be there to witness the birth of their sparklings. 

The first pod opened, followed by a mechanical chirp from the sparkling inside. Instinct took over and Starscream reached out. The tiny sparkling crawled into the palm of his hand. It rutted around, looking for a place to latch on. Before Starscream could place it in his cockpit, Megatron reached out. 

“Let me see it.”

“He’s a seeker.” Hesitantly, Starscream placed the sparkling in Megatron’s hand. “He has your helm.”

“Does he?” Megatron replied, sounding almost cheerful as he studied the sparkling. But the small semblance of a smile didn’t last. “Interesting.”

The other sparkling emerged and Starscream quickly collected it, placing it in his cockpit. The distressed chirps from the one in Megatron’s hand had Starscream on the edge of panic. He held out his hand for it. “He’s probably hungry.” 

Megatron turned away from Starscream. “I want to hold him a little longer.” He reached up to activate his communications device. “Soundwave, come see the hatchlings.”

Starscream’s energon ran cold at the mention of Soundwave’s name. “Why would he care?” He got up and tried to take the sparkling from Megatron. “Let me put him with his brother.”

Placing his hand on Starscream’s chest, Megatron kept him at arm’s length. “I’m not done looking at him.” They both looked over at the sound of the door opening. Soundwave entered the room and Megatron walked up to him, displaying the hatching in his outstretched hand. “Look at him.”

“Healthy,” Soundwave said. 

“He’s seen him,” Starscream complained. “Let me have him.”

“Look closer,” Megatron said, holding the sparkling up a little higher. “Look at his face. What do you see?”

“Visor,” Soundwave answered after a long silence. 

“A visor,” Megatron repeated, lowering his hand. “I do not have a visor. Starscream does not have a visor. Where do you think he got it?”

“My sire had a visor,” Starscream offered meekly but the look Megatron gave him was a clear sign that he did not believe him. 

“Visors do not skip a generation,” Megatron stated as a matter of fact. “Sparklings only have visors or faceplates if one or both of their parents have them. So I am left to wonder. Who is their sire?”

“You,” Starscream replied softly. 

“Lier,” Megatron yelled, throwing the sparkling. 

“No!” Starscream dove for the sparkling but it hit the wall and fell to the floor. Its agonizing cries tore at Starscream’s spark. As he scrambled across the floor to reach his creation, Megatron attacked. One solid punch was all it took to immobilize Starscream. Megatron knew where to hit in order to damage the right circuits and paralyze. 

Unable to move on his own, Starscream was lifted off the ground and braced against a wall. “Please,” Starscream begged. “Let me get him.” 

Much to Starscream’s horror, Megatron opened his cockpit and removed the other sparkling. Grabbing hold of the sparkling’s tiny wing, Megatron twisted, causing it to cry out. “Who is their sire?”

“You,” Starscream insisted. Megatron pulled the wing off as soon as the word left Starscream’s lips. “Stop!” Starscream cried. “Please.”

“Then tell me,” Megatron growled. “Or I’ll rip his head off next.”

“Me,” Rumble said as he ejected. “I’m their sire. Now stop hurting them.”

“Rumble, no,” Soundwave said, reaching out for the minibot. There was fear in the normally monotone bot’s voice and rightfully so. Rumble ignored his creator and ran towards Megatron in an attempt to save his sparkling. Megatron backhanded Rumble, sending the stout bot flying across the room. Rumble may have been strong but Megatron was stronger. 

Soundwave moved to protect Rumble but he didn’t get very far. Megatron dropped the sparkling and then pinned Soundwave against the wall. “You knew.” It wasn’t a question but an accusation. “It seems your little creation is no better than his sire, a traitor. I should rip your spark out for this treachery. Starscream was mine.”

“Starscream doesn’t belong to anyone,” Rumble said as he got to his feet. 

“Wrong,” Megatron roared turning on him. “I rule the Decepticons. You all belong to me.” He grabbed the minibot by the throat and threw him down on the berth. Starscream could only watch in horror as Megatron forcefully removed Rumble’s lower plating and forced his legs apart.

Starscream didn’t know what was worse, watching the only bot who had ever truly loved him suffer at the hands of Megatron or the hearing the fading cries of his injured sparklings. He glanced over at Soundwave to see the communications officer on his knees. As much as it pained Soundwave to watch, he knew better than to interfere. As long as he stayed back, there was a chance that Megatron would not kill Rumble. 

Starscream couldn’t watch as Megatron forced an interface with Rumble. It brought back too many painful memories. The screams of pain were already more than he could bear. 

When Megatron was done with Rumble, he walked over to once again stand in front of Starscream. Thick, dark fluids covered his lover half and Rumble lay motionless on the berth. 

When Soundwave moved towards Rumble, Megatron pointed his cannon at him. “Not yet.” Megatron stopped with his foot threatening to crush the sparkling with a broken wing. The sparkling chirped in distress as he was pressed to the floor. 

“Please,” Starscream whimpered. “I’ll do anything. Just don’t kill him.”

“You will obey me.” Megatron lowered his foot a little more. “You will do what I say, when I say it, without question or hesitation.”

“Yes,” Starscream agreed. 

“You are demoted and will no longer be given special treatment,” Megatron stated. “You will do your duties, I don’t care if they are in your cockpit or not, and you will feed them from your rations.”

“Of course.” Starscream nodded. 

“You no longer curry favor from me.” Megatron’s eyes flashed with fury and he backhanded Starscream in the face. “I doubt Rumble will be able to protect you from the rest of the crew. You can go back to being a whore like your seeker brothers.”

The force of the blow had sent Starscream to the ground. He lay on the floor in a heap, unable to right himself. Fear for his creation’s life kept him silent. Arguing would only insure their death. 

“If any of you step out of line,” Megatron warned, “I will kill your little whelps. That is, if they survive after today.”

“I understand,” Starscream choked out, unable to pull his eyes from the sparkling. 

Megatron lifted his foot and then kicked the sparkling to the side before heading for the door. “Get yourself repaired and get back to work.”

As soon as Megatron was gone, Soundwave rushed to Rumble. 

“Save the sparklings,” Rumble managed to rasp out. When Soundwave hesitated to leave Rumble’s side, Rumble pushed him. “Please.”

Soundwave reluctantly left Rumble’s side and collected the two sparklings from the floor. After propping Starscream back up against the wall, Soundwave placed the sparkling that had been thrown against the wall into Starscream’s cockpit. He then took some time to tend to the one with a broken wing, welding the wing back into place before adding it to the cockpit with its brother. 

With the sparklings secured inside of Starscream, Soundwave turned his attention back to Rumble. From his position on the floor, Starscream had a hard time seeing Rumble but the dark purple fluid dripping from the berth was not a good sign. 

“I’ll be okay,” Rumble hissed when Soundwave tried to examine him. “My systems are already repairing the damage. It’s not as bad as it looks. Take me to Starscream, please.” Soundwave was not easy to read but something about his demeanor told Starscream that he was not pleased with Rumble’s request. “I love him and I wanna see my sparklings,” Rumble pleaded. “I need to know they’re okay.” 

Giving in to his creation’s request, Soundwave lifted him from the berth. Fluids continued to drip from Rumble as Soundwave carried him. 

“I’m so sorry,” Starscream whimpered as Rumble was set in his lap. His systems had been able to repair enough of the damage that he was able to wrap his arms around Rumble. 

“We’ll be okay,” Rumble soothed, placing his hand over the cockpit. “The worst is over. We’ll be okay.”

“I hope so,” Starscream replied. 

…..

 

It wasn’t often that Starscream had any time to himself. So he took advantage of the rare opportunity to enjoy a leisurely flight. It had taken several of Earth’s months before Megatron’s anger subsided enough for him to stop tormenting Starscream and Rumble. Fortunately the Autobots were once again the main focus of Megatron’s attention and wrath. 

The twin sparklings were still recovering from the trauma they suffered at Megatron’s hand. Anytime Rumble attempted to reach in to touch one, they shied away and tried to move deeper into the cockpit. 

Sometimes, if Starscream were to lie on his back and opened his cockpit, the two sparklings would venture out to his chest but they didn’t stay out long. This at least gave Rumble a chance to see them.

They had decided on the names Thrash, for the one with the broken wing, and Torque. They were seekers after all so giving them names associated with flying was fitting. 

It was good to get the sparklings off of the ship and since he wasn’t on a mission, Starscream allowed them to move around. He could feel them as they moved about the cockpit to peer out the window. They would chirp and trill in wonder at the sights they saw. Out here it was warm and colorful. It was vastly different from the cold, grey world inside the Nemesis. 

He never thought he would be the type to want sparklings but now that he had them, they were the center of his world. In that moment, Starscream was happy. This was how life was supposed to be. 

But it didn’t last. 

Out of nowhere, Powerglide attacked, leaving Starscream very little time to react. Hit top priority was protecting his sparklings. In the time it took to secure them, Powerglide managed to knock Starscream to the ground where a group of Autobots waited. 

Stricken with fear, Starscream transformed and managed to fire off a few blasts. His best hope was to escape. He had no chance of defeating so many Autobots on his own. “I’m not doing anything,” he yelled at them. “I’m just flying.” 

“Likely story,” Ironhide said. “If you’re not up to something what are you hiding in your cockpit?”

Starscream hadn’t realized that he had been instinctively covering his cockpit. He internally chastised himself for drawing their attention to it. “Back off,” he yelled, firing at them and moved to transform once again. “I’m not staying around long enough for you to find out.” 

But the Autobots weren’t about to let him go. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe tackled him to the ground, followed by Prowl and Bluestreak. 

“Get off me,” Starscream screamed as he struggled beneath their grip. 

“Let’s see what you’re hiding,” Ironhide said as he reached down to force open Starscream’s cockpit. As soon as he saw what was inside, he froze. “Well I’ll be a…. Prime.” He turned to look over his shoulder. “You’re gonna wanna see this.”

“What is it?” Optimus Prime asked as he moved closer to get a look. “Sparklings.” Stepping aside, Prime motioned for the medical officer. “Ratchet.”

“They’re young,” Ratchet said and reached for the sparklings. “They can’t be more that a meta-cycle.” 

“Their mine,” Starscream protested. “Don’t touch them.”

Ignoring Starscream, Ratchet removed Thrash and Torque and gave each sparkling an energon stick to calm them. “They’re damaged.” 

“Did I hurt them,” Powerglide asked from the side. “If I had known….”

“These injuries are old,” Ratchet said, shaking his head. “Why am I not surprised?” 

“You don’t know anything,” Starscream yelled. “Give them back.”

“They’re damaged and hungry,” Ratchet replied. “There is no way I’m giving them back.”

“I will hunt you down if you take them from me,” Starscream warned them. “There is no way I will allow my creations to be raised by Autobots!”

“Being raised by Decepticons is better?” Ratchet shot back. “Look at them!” He held Thrash out. “This one is so damaged there is a good chance that he will never be able to transform, much less fly.”

Blaster placed his hand on Ratchet’s shoulder. “We’re not taking them from him.”

Ratchet looked up at the communications officer in surprised. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am,” Blaster said, nodding his head.

“How can you suggest such a thing?” Ratchet argued. 

“Because I’ve had sparklings of my own and I know what it’s like to have them ripped away.” Blaster looked down at Starscream. “I wouldn’t put anyone else through that kind of pain, not even Starscream.”

“Blaster’s right,” Optimus said. “Do what you can for them and return them to Starscream.”

“They have a better chance of survival with us,” Ratchet stated. 

Optimus shook his head. “It wouldn’t be right to take them.”

“That’s debatable.” Ratchet looked down at the two sparklings. “Giving them back could mean their death.”

“I’m giving you an order, Ratchet,” Optimus said. Starscream was amazed at how he was able to give a command while still maintaining a calm and caring demeanor. It was almost enough to change Starscream’s mind and let them keep them. At least they would be away from Megatron. 

Starscream shook those thoughts from his head. The sparklings were his. They will be raised by him. Life under the Autobot rule was not a good one. It was why the Decepticons were formed in the first place. The sparklings would be better off with him. 

“Hold this one,” Ratchet said as he handed Torque over to Blaster along with another energon stick to replace the one that was almost depleted. “I’ll see what I can do for them here.”

Starscream could only wait while Ratchet worked on his creations. The four Autobots on top of him made sure of that. So he watched the sun as it moved across the sky. 

It took Ratchet less than half a cycle to finish the task. He was either that good or the damage wasn’t as severe as he was saying it was. Starscream wanted to believe it was the latter but knew deep down it was probably the former. 

“Against my better judgment,” Ratchet complained as he put the sparklings back into Starscream’s cockpit. “It’s on you whether they live or die.”

“As it should be,” Starscream hissed back. 

Ratchet stepped back and Optimus gave the signal for the others to let Starscream go. “Get out of here before I change my mind.”

Optimus barely had time to finish speaking before Starscream transformed and took off. He had no intention of staying around.


	2. Skywarp

Skywarp stood watching Starscream tend to his hatchlings while sitting on the floor. They were getting big, they barely fit in his cassis any more. But they were still helpless and completely dependent on him. Skywarp didn’t know how Starscream managed.

Skywarp reached up and placed his hand over his spark chamber. He wasn’t nearly as brave as Starscream and it pained him. 

Lost in thought, Skywarp barely noticed when Megatron entered the room. The hatchlings chirped in fear as they rushed to enter Starscream’s cockpit. 

“Aren’t they getting too big for that,” Megatron complained. “You spoil them.”

“They suffered a trauma when they were hatched,” was Starscream’s snide remark. “It made them a little fearful. It will take them time to fully recover from it.”

“Are they Seekers?” Megatron asked, ignoring Starscream’s remark. 

“It appears so,” Starscream answered, keeping his attention on the little ones. “They have the structure of fliers but, as you know, that doesn’t mean that they will be Seekers, those damned Aerialbots sure as hell aren’t. They have their sire’s stout frame. It’s too soon to tell if they are going to be mini or not.”

Megatron considered the twins for a moment before stating, “Train them anyway.”

Starscream slowly look up at Megatron and Skywarp could see the horror on his face. “Train them? Could you be more specific,” Starscream requested, though Skywarp was fairly certain Starscream knew what Megatron was implying. 

“To be Seekers.” A cold smile parted Megatron’s lips. “Teach them how to be masters of interfacing.” He walked closer to Starscream, who pulled his little ones closer. “When does your kind usually start training?”

“I would rather they not be,” Starscream protested. 

“If they are Seekers,” Megatron said with a snarl, “then they will be trained.”

“We joined the Decepticon cause to get away from that life,” Starscream argued. “Forcing me to train them would make you no better than the Elite Autobot Functionalist.” 

The twins had already managed to stuff themselves safely away in Starscream’s cockpit before Megatron lashed out, grabbing Starscream by the throat. “I was the one who took you out of the pleasure district. I allowed you to pursue and practice science. If it weren’t for me, you would be nothing more than a whore, parting your legs for the Autobots. I gave you everything I promised…, and you betrayed me. You should be happy I let the whelps live.”

“I am,” Starscream choked out. “Forgive me.”

Megatron pressed close to Starscream, keeping his hand tight around Starscream’s throat. “My soldiers have needs,” he said softly. “There are only six of you Seekers. That is barely enough to keep them satisfied. We had a deal, remember?”

Starscream nodded as best as he could despite Megatron’s grip. 

“Good,” Megatron said, releasing Starscream. “Just like with you and the other Seekers, those two will be allowed to pursue any field they want, so long as they provide the others with an occasional interfacing every now and again. It’s not too much to ask, is it, for the freedoms you’ve been granted? A freedom you were denied by the Autobot Elitist.” 

“No, Lord Megatron,” Starscream said in defeat, cradling his hands over his chest. “You’re right. As soon as they are old enough, I will start their training.”

“Good,” Megatron said, the cold smile returning. 

That settled it. Skywarp backed away from the room and quickly headed down the corridor. 

He entered the medical lab to find his Seeker brother, Thundercracker. “Do you still have it?”

Thundercracker looked up from the data pad in his hand. “You’ll have to be more specific.”

“The… thing… I asked you to take care of for me,” Skywarp replied. 

Thundercracker thought for a moment as he looked around the room. “I think so.”

“You think so?” Skywarp exclaimed. “Tell me you know where it is.”

“It was so long ago,” Thundercracker said in his defense as the put the data pad down. “I put it in a safe place but I haven’t checked on it since the crash.”

Panic stared to fill Skywarp. “Do you think it survived?”

“It should have,” Thundercracker answered and walked over to press a sequence of buttons on a panel. A small drawer opened and he pulled a small, spherical device out. “It looks to be okay.” He held it out for Skywarp to look at it. “Is that all you wanted, to make sure it was still okay?”

Skywarp shook his head. “I want you to put it back.”

Thundercracker tilted his head. “In the drawer?”

“In me,” Skywarp clarified, a little irritated. 

“There’s gonna be a lot of questions,” Thundercracker stated plainly. 

“No one’s gonna know,” Skywarp replied, keeping his eyes on the device. 

“It’s gonna be kind of hard to hide,” Thundercracker pointed out. 

“Just leave that up to me,” Skywarp said, running his hand over the device in Thundercracker’s hand. 

“Remember the difficulties Starscream had with his,” Thundercracker pointed out. “When this sparkling creates its pod….”

“It’s only one,” Skywarp interrupted, dismissively waving his hand. “Starscream had issues because he had two. This guy deserves a chance at life. I should be able to hide it.”

“And after it hatches?” Thundercracker wanted to know. 

“It won’t be here when it hatches,” Skywarp answered. 

……

Sitting on the floor of the hab-suite he shared with Thundercracker, Skywarp wrapped his arms around his mid-section. The pod that was developing inside him was larger than he thought it would be. If he was careful, he could still transform but it was uncomfortable. 

A large pod meant that it would be a large hatchling. If it was lucky, it would take after its sire and not be a Seeker. However, if it took after its sire that would be one more reason not to let Megatron know about it. He would kill Skywarp’s sparkling if he knew. The sparkling of his enemy would not be shown mercy. 

The door chime sounded, indicating that someone was standing outside. Who would be paying Skywarp a visit? He hoped that whoever it was, wasn’t in the mood for an interface. 

With a little more effort than it usually took, Skywarp got to his feet. At first, he was surprised to see Soundwave standing outside his door but then the realization hit him. The whole reason Megatron wanted Soundwave to join the Decepticons was because of his ability to ‘hear’ thoughts. This way, nothing was kept a secret from Megatron, so long as there was nothing in it for Soundwave.

“What do you want?” Skywarp asked, trying to sound nonchalant. 

“Let me in,” Soundwave demanded. 

“Why?” Skywarp shot back. 

Soundwave poked at Skywarp’s midsection. “I know.”

Stepping aside Skywarp invited Soundwave in. He waited for the door to close before asking, “What do you plan on doing with the information? You haven’t gone straight to Megatron, so I assume you want something from me.”

“Who is the sire?” Soundwave inquired, answering a question with a question.

“Someone who had died a long time ago,” Skywarp answered a little more bitterly than he had intended. “Before you ask, Thundercracker kept the spark in stasis for me.”

Soundwave was unreadable as he watched Skywarp. “Why have it now?”

Skywarp shrugged. “Seeing Starscream with his hatchlings made me realize that I was being unfair to it and that it deserves a chance at life.”

“Megatron will kill it,” Soundwave stated as a matter of fact. 

“I know, but as long as you don’t say anything, he will never know,” Skywarp said. “And that brings us back to, what do you want from me so that you won’t tell him?”

Instead of answering, Soundwave ejected Ravage. Skywarp looked down at the beast bot and then back up at Soundwave. He had a sinking feeling in his spark. “What do you want me to do with your pet? I’m not interfacing with that thing.”

“Ravage cannot interface,” Soundwave stated. “Who is the sire?” 

“Why do you care?” Skywarp snapped. “He’s dead. Megatron killed him. If you wanna know the full truth about him, he was someone I cared for but he was… an Elite, which is why Megatron killed him.”

Skywarp turned away to pace as he though out loud. “Any time he needed arm candy for an event, he would come for me. For an Elite, Functionalist he was good to me and I fell for him. Then there was the uprising and I joined the Decepticons with the others. I never told anyone. Thundercracker doesn’t even know who the sire is. I won’t say his name.”

Soundwave knelt down to pet Ravage. “Senator Skygazer.”

A wave of grief washed over Skywarp as the sound of his name. He rounded on Soundwave. “Get out of my head!” he yelled in a burst of emotion. 

“Have you ever wondered where I got my pets?” Soundwave casually asked, without even acknowledging Skywarp’s outburst. 

“I never cared to wonder,” Skywarp replied. 

Soundwave kept his attention on Ravage, scratching the feline bot behind the ears. “Megatron did not kill all of his enemies. Some of them had been imprisoned in bodies that are not theirs, remembering enough of who they were to suffer while being loyal servants.”

“You mean, your pets….?” Skywarp looked at Ravage in disbelief. “This is Skygazer?”

“Not anymore,” Soundwave replied. “You cannot say anything to anyone.”

Dropping to his knees, Skywarp reached out to touch Ravage. “Why are you telling me this?”

“He insisted,” Soundwave answered. “His memories of who he used to be might be vague, but his memories of you are strong. He wants to know what will happen with his sparkling.”

“After the pod emerges,” Skywarp said, unable to take his eyes off of Ravage, “I’m gonna take it to the Autobots. If it looks anything like he used to, it will be safe with them. If it’s a Seeker like me, maybe… maybe they won’t… train him. Maybe they will let him pick his own passion. I won’t let Megatron have him.”

Ravage moved forward and rubbed against Skywarp before setting down in his lap. 

“He approves,” Soundwave said. 

……

An alarm sounded from Teletraan and Hound rushed over to see what had set it off. Optimus waited a moment, giving Hound time to assess the situation. “Report.”

“It’s the proximity alarm,” Hound responded. “There’s a Decepticon close by.”

“One?” Ironhide said in disbelief. “Must be some sort of trap. The one out there is a decoy or something.”

“Use precaution,” Optimus said to Hound. “Take a team and find out why a Decepticon is at our doorstep.”

“Yes, Prime,” Hound replied rushing off to do as he was ordered. 

Prime pressed a button on the communications array. “Ratchet, be advised that there is a Decepticon close by. I don’t think one alone will be able to cause much damage but we have no indication on what he is planning or why he is here.”

“I’ll get the infirmary ready, just in case,” came Ratchet’s reply.

After a few more moments passed, Hound’s voice came over the com. “Prime, It’s Skywarp. He’s set what looks like a sparkling pod down on the ground and backed away. What should I do?”

“Trap,” Ironhide said as he moved to stand next to Optimus. “I’m willing to bet that the pod is actually a bomb. I say leave it and open fire on Skywarp.”

“Let’s not be hasty,” Optimus said to Ironhide before turning back to the communications array. “Stand by, Hound. I’ll handle this personally. I’m going to get Ratchet so he can scan the pod.”

“Are you serious, Prime?” Ironhide complained. “You can’t trust a Decepticon.”

Optimus turned to look at his longtime friend. “If it is a sparkling pod, then it deserves a chance at life, and the fact that Skywarp brought it to us is a sign of desperation.” He turned and started for the exit. “Let’s go.”

On their way out, Optimus stopped by the medical bay to get Ratchet. When he exited the ship, he could see Skywarp standing back near a rock and a pod about half way between him and the ship. “Explain yourself,” Optimus demanded. 

“Just take it,” Skywarp insisted as he looked around nervously. 

Optimus did not move. “Where did you get it?”

“It’s mine,” Skywarp reluctantly answered. 

“Why are you giving it to us?”

“Because Megatron will kill it,” Skywarp shouted back. “Please. I don’t have a lot of time but I want to know you are going to take it before I leave.”

“Megatron didn’t kill Starscream’s hatchlings,” Optimus pointed out. 

“This is different,” Skywarp replied. “I don’t have time to get into the details. Are you gonna take it or not?”

Optimus turned to Ratchet. “Go out as far as you need to get a scan of it. Make sure it is what Skywarp claims it to be.”

“Sure thing, Prime,” Ratchet nodded as he pulled out a scanner. He moved in closer to the pod, keeping his eyes on the scanner, fully trusting the other Autobots to keep him safe. He got about halfway there before he picked up his pace. “It’s a sparkling pod.”

Rushing forward, Ratchet collected the pod from the ground and then turned to hurry back to the safety of the ship. 

“We’ll take care of it,” Optimus called out to Skywarp. “You have my word.”

Skywarp turned to leave but hesitated and turned to face Optimus. “If it’s a Seeker, will you insist that it get training?”

“It will be free to choose its own path,” Optimus answered and then stretched out his hand. “You don’t have to leave.”

“I still believe in the Decepticon cause,” Skywarp called back. “I will not abandon it.” With that he transformed and took off, teleporting away as soon as he had gained altitude. 

Optimus turned his attention to the doctor. “Is there anything wrong with it?”

Ratchet shook his head. “It’s healthy. The only issue we have is what we are going to do with it once it hatches. How many among us have compartments for hatchlings? And, among those, who would be willing to care for it?”

“I’ll take it,” Blaster said as he stepped through the crowd of Autobots. 

Optimus had a feeling he would be the one to volunteer. Blaster’s hatchlings had been ripped from him by the council, not long after they had hatched because they were a distraction from his work. It was traumatizing for him. So much so that he had almost joined with the Decepticons during the rebellion but Optimus had managed to prevent him from going down that path of destruction. 

They tried but had never found what had happened to his hatchlings. 

Blaster looked up at Optimus. “I won’t let it interfere with my work. I swear.”

“I will allow it,” Optimus agreed.


	3. Ratchet

Ratchet came back online and looked around the wrecked ship. There was no way of telling how long he had been off line. Bodies of his fellow Autobots lay around him and he couldn’t tell if they were simply offline or dead. 

Slowly, Ratchet got to his feet. Fortunately, whatever damage he had sustained was not life threatening. His crewmates were going to have to wait. Someone had to get to the main computer to assess the damage. He was the first one up, so it had to be him. 

As he made his way to Teletraan, Ratchet heard some of the others moan as they started to awaken. “Status report,” Optimus Prime’s voice boomed over the others. “Where are the Decepticons?” It was good to hear that their leader still functioned. 

“Working on it,” Ratchet replied as tried to get the computer to respond. “Teletraan seems to be damaged. I’m a doctor not a mechanic. I don’t think I can get it functioning again.”

A small light off to his side caught his attention. Ratchet looked over to see a small creature with what looked like a firearm, pointing a light up at him. It had to have been one of the organic lifeforms that inhabited this planet. 

“Prime,” Ratchet said, keeping his eyes on the small intruder. “We have company.” He looked around and that was when he noticed several other small creatures with lighted firearms walking among the fallen Autobots. “Everyone watch your step.”

“It seems that our crash has not gone unnoticed,” Prime stated as he looked around the room. “We need to let them know that we mean them no harm and I pray that we did not harm any of them in our fight with the Decepticons and subsequent crash.”

“I’ll get a message put together,” Wheeljack said, taking a spot next to Ratchet at the console and shooting him a sideways glance. “As soon as I get the systems up and running again.”

“Would you like me to head outside, Prime?” Ratchet offered, taking the hint and stepping away from the computer system. Wheeljack was the computer expert and would have more success in getting Teletraan functioning again. “I can have a look around and try to help if we did cause any damage. I know enough about organic life forms to do simple repairs to them. These creatures can’t be that different from the ones we’ve encountered before.”

“Tread carefully,” Prime said, giving his permission. “And don’t make any sudden movements.”

All the while, the small creatures were saying things to each other in their own strange language. One of them spoke urgently as Ratchet made his way to the exit. No doubt the creature was communicating with others on the outside and was warning them of Ratchet’s movement. 

Cautiously, Ratchet exited the ship and too get a measure of their surroundings. They were in a desolate place. If the rest of the planet was like the area they were in, it was a wonder that anything was able to survive. 

It was barren, hot, and the star the planet orbited gleamed down on them. Looking around, Ratchet saw no signs of civilization but there were more of the creatures gathered not too far away. Unlike the ones in the ship, the creatures on the outside were not in full protective gear. They were softer in appearance than most organic creatures they had encountered in the past. 

A quick scan told him that the machines with the creatures were not sentient.

“It doesn’t look like we caused any damage in the immediate vicinity,” Ratchet reported to Prime over the com. link. “This area is a wasteland. But there are several more of the planet’s inhabitants outside. They look to be heavily armed but not enough to inflict any major damage to us.”

“Come back inside,” Prime ordered. “We don’t want to provoke them.”

“Roger that.” Without any sudden movements, Ratchet stepped back inside the ship. 

By the time Ratchet made his way back through the ship, Wheeljack was playing the translated message for the creatures. Though he didn’t know the language, it was a message Ratchet knew well. It was the same message for every planet Megatron set his sights on. It explained that the Decepticon goal was to harvest the natural resources of the planet, destroying it in the process. The Autobots were there to keep that from happening. The message ended with an apology for bringing the war to their planet and a promise to do all that they can to keep them safe. 

Sometimes, Prime was able to keep that promise. 

There have been other times he was not. 

…….

The creatures call themselves ‘human’ and the area that the Autobots had crash in was called a desert. While this area was a wasteland, the majority of the planet was covered in water and boasted several masses of land with diverse climates. 

The Autobots learned that the Decepticon ship had crash landed, not too far away, in a vast body of water the humans called the Pacific Ocean. Both Autobots and Decepticons had suffered greatly; resources had been lost and their ships had been rendered inoperable. They were stranded.

Now it was a race to see who can replenish their supplies and repair their ships first. There were no casualties on the Autobot side. Wheeljack was able to fix Teletraan so they were able to communicate with Cybertron. Their space bridge, though offline, was not damaged beyond repair and their land bridge was fully operational. So, things could have been worse. 

The Decepticons were starting to move. True to form, they had adopted alt-forms that resembled Earth vehicles. They would move in, undetected and strike at locations to raid resources. 

As a result, several Autobots had been assigned to work directly with the military; Hound, Trailbreaker, and Hoist chief among them. They gave the humans methods of detecting the Decepticons. 

In return, the humans had assigned an engineer to the Autobots; a government employee who would work with the Autobots while learning all that he could about them. His name was William Witwicky but he insisted on them calling him Sparkplug. He said it had something to do with his army days. 

Accommodations had been made for the man and his teenage son, Spike, to stay aboard the Ark and communications had been set up with several high-ranking human representatives. Humans were in and out of the Ark all the time. The Autobots were going to have to watch where they stepped for a while but at least they were given access to the resources they needed. 

“So, who made you?” Spike said as he walked around Ratchet’s lab. It was a common question organics asked. Apparently, Cybertronian existence was a hard concept for them to comprehend. 

“No one made us,” Ratchet explained. “At least not in the way you’re thinking.” He was humoring the young human in his lab while Sparkplug was busy with Wheeljack. Sparkplug was interested in the technology that the Autobots used while Spike was more interested in the Autobots themselves. “I cannot simply build a body and have it come to life. We are living metal and energy, descendants from the original thirteen, created by Primus.”

“Descendants?” Spike considered Ratchet’s words for a moment. “So, you breed?”

“Yes,” Ratchet simply answered. “As most living creatures do.”

“How?” Spike said, his face expressing confusion. 

Taken aback by the question, Ratchet looked down at the human. Interfacing was not something that was openly discussed. “That is a personal question.”

“I’m not asking for you to demonstrate how it’s done,” Spike said in his defense with a slight chuckle. “A simple explanation would work. It’s hard for me to even fathom.”

Ratchet could not believe what he was hearing. “How would you feel if I asked you how your species procreated?”

“That information is readily available for you on the internet,” Spike pointed out. “There are even videos of people preforming the act if you were curious to see how it was done.”

“It is?” Ratchet turned to his computer. “Why?”

Spike shrugged. “The information is out there because knowing how it all works helps to prevent accidents and helps to ensure that all goes well. We also like to know everything there is to know about a species, including how they procreate. Every single known species on this planet has been or is currently being studied to the last detail. People are gonna wanna know these things about you too….” Blushing a little, he rubbed the back of his head. “The videos exist because some people… enjoy watching others… do it.”

“Fascinating,” Ratchet said as he pulled up medical journals on the human reproductive system. “You require a male and a female in order to produce an offspring. And it looks to be a fairly simple process, as long as both participants are healthy.”

“You don’t have females?” Spike casually asked. “Do you reproduce asexually?” Never before has Ratchet encountered a species that was so open with the way they copulate. 

Ratchet shook his head. “Yes… and no. All sparks are fundamentally the same. Though we have masculine and feminine forms, we are, for the most part, genderless and it takes two bots to create an offspring regardless of their physical form.”

Spike took a seat near Ratchet and looked up at him expectantly. “So, how’s it done? If gender isn’t necessary and any two bots can make a child, what’s the process?”

Hesitant, Ratchet contemplated the best way to explain the process. “It takes trust and a deep emotional bond. We are capable of interfacing strictly for pleasure, though it’s not easy, but when there is a bond, a spark touch is possible. Only through a spark touch can a sparkling be formed.”

“Okay.” Spike’s eyes narrowed and he looked off to the side as he processed the new information. “How do you interface and why is it not easy?”

“We have a cluster of connectors that surround our spark chamber,” Ratchet explained, feeling a little flustered as he pointed to his chest. “It is a way to… share energon. A good connection can result in a pleasurable sensation that radiates to the spark. A bad one can be unpleasant. Pleasant connections and a bond of love will bring the spark forward. The sparks touch and a sparkling is formed.

“The larger of the two bots will end up being the carrier, unless one of them is a Seeker. Seekers always end up as the carrier, though we don’t know why. The sparling will orbit the carrier’s spark for a while, gaining strength and then it will move down into the cassis. At that point, the carrier needs to consume raw materials. The sparkling forms a pod, using the raw material and energon. The pod then exits the carrier’s body through a port that we all have. After the spark has time to merge with the materials and energon, it emerges, the pod becoming its body. A steady diet of raw materials is needed for the hatchling to grow. The coding or Cyber/Nano Algorithms in its spark will determine how it forms and its alt-mode.”

“That is so cool,” Spike said with a smile. “Fair warning, though. There are going to be researchers who are going to want detailed information about this process. Humans are curious and we like to know how things work to the smallest detail. They’re probably also gonna want to observe the sparkling development.”

Ratchet shook his head. “I don’t think any of us here are going to be producing sparklings any time soon. We’re in the middle of a war. It takes time for the pod to form and then the hatchling needs to be nurtured. That would take one of our soldiers out of the fight and a great deal of resources. And, no one wants to bring a sparkling into this. In fact, I don’t think a sparkling has been conceived since the war started, nearly three million years ago.”

“Oh,” Spike said, the smile dropping from his face. “If you’re not replacing the ones that are lost….”

“… It won’t be long before this war causes my people to go extinct,” Ratchet concluded. 

……

His conversation with Spike got Ratchet thinking. So, for the first time ever, he researched the reproduction of another species. Their way of interfacing or, as they called it, sex was considerably easier than the way Cybertronians did it. 

Being creatures made to adapt, Ratchet got to work researching the possibility of adapting to the human way of intimacy. If he could figure out a way of consolidating their connectors into one plug or spike and one valve, it would take the guess work out of interfacing. 

He planned on utilizing the already existing port for laying pods and the soft, flexible metal within to form a valve, lining it with nodes to trigger pleasurable sensations. The difficult task would be developing a spike that was soft and flexible for storage but could become hard and rigid for penetration, maintaining the ability to share energon, and having it all connect back to the spark. 

He had never paid this much attention to the connectors around the spark chamber before. It gave him a deeper understanding in the whole process involved in making a sparkling. He wondered when it was in Cybertronian history that, despite the fact that everyone knew about it, it became a taboo topic. He figured it was around the same time the functionalist started taking over but he couldn’t be sure; he hatched after the functionalist had established themselves. 

It took him several months, but Ratchet was able to develop his new and easier way of interfacing. He even made it possible to simulate every aspect of human intimacy by creating a tongue by detaching part of the mechanism that assisted in swallowing. 

He tested modifications on himself and he was pleased with the results. For the first time, it was possible to self-pleasure resulting in an overload. Energon that was meant to be deposited in a partner, dripped from the tip of his spike, only to be reabsorbed by his shaft. 

The walls of his valve also seeped energon when the node was stimulated. It would act as a lubricant while providing the needed energon to be absorbed by a penetrating spike. He wasn’t quite sure how he should feel about having his first overload in such a way. Aside from that he was glad that everything worked and it felt better than he hoped it would. 

Now there was the issue of presenting it to the others. 

….

The only thing Ratchet had told Prime was that he wanted to talk to the whole crew about something medical. He now stood in front of a sea of shocked faces. The mere mention of interfacing was enough to stun them. 

“I’ve developed an easier way,” Ratchet continued as his crewmates awkwardly looked at each other. 

“Why?” Prime prompted. 

Ratchet looked up at him. Because it became an obsession was not a good answer so Ratchet came up with a better one. “Our way of doing it is difficult and for good reason. We live a long time so reproduction should be kept at a minimum or we run the risk of overpopulation. But the war has cut our numbers to just a few thousand. If we survive this war, we are going to need to repopulate and difficult methods of interfacing will only slow us down. The deep bond between two mechs will still be necessary for a spark touch, but the difficulties of finding a good connection will no longer exist.” 

He turned to look out over the gathered crew. “I wanted to present the option of the upgrade to you all.” He was aware that some of them casually interfaced with each other, he wasn’t going to mention it though. “I also plan on sending my findings to my colleagues back on Cybertron. The upgrade will not prevent you from interfacing the old way. If you are interested, you all know where to find me.”

…..

Ratchet worked to repair the tiny hatchling in his hand. The damage that had been done to it was old and, considering how small it was, it meant that it happened when it had hatched. It was going to need several rounds of repairs as it developed, repairs it would probably not receive, crippling it. 

Glancing up a Starscream, Ratchet could see the signs of his modifications. The Decepticons must have intercepted and decrypted his message to Cybertron. 

Now they are breeding.

Of course they are breeding, they have the Seekers, Seekers were driven to interface. 

This would explain Starscream’s absence a few cycles ago. But, why would Megatron damage his own hatchlings? Then, Ratchet noticed the visor on the hatchling’s face. Megatron wasn’t the sire and that explained a lot. It was no secret that Megatron had laid claim to Starscream. Now Ratchet wondered if the sire was still alive. 

He didn’t want to send those poor innocent creatures back to Megatron but Blaster’s plea had won over Optimus. Ratchet hated to admit it but they were right. If they had taken the hatchlings from Starscream they would have been no better than the Elite that they were fighting so hard to distance themselves from. It would have only solidified the belief that the Autobots wanted nothing more than to go back to the functionalist way of life. 

Reluctantly, he handed the Sparklings back to Starscream.


	4. Brawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brawn's story, starting before the war to sometime after Skywarp left his sparkling pod with the Autobots. 
> 
> Soundwave/Brawn  
> Yeah... I put them together. Don't know if anyone has before.   
> Warning: Robot sex

Though small in stature, Brawn was strong with a stout frame. He could take down bots twice his size with ease. In this functionalist era, his options for employment were limited. He tried to get work with the Peace Keepers but he failed to pass the test. Thought his strength was impressive, his level of intelligence was not. 

The best job he could find was working security at a prestigious night club where the best Cybertronians performed. He was the muscle, called in when some of the patrons got too unruly or to remove the riff raff. 

It was there that he met one of Cybertron’s most beloved performers, Soundwave. He had the most beautiful voice Brawn had ever heard. Knowing he wouldn’t have been allowed in if he weren’t an employee, Brawn felt privileged to be able to hear such perfection. 

Brawn was eventually assigned as a personal guard for Soundwave. The two spent quite a bit of time together and eventually, much to Brawn’s surprise, fell in love. They didn’t stop at being Cunjunx Endura, they became Spark Bonds a level of intimacy that can only be achieved by going beyond interfacing by touching sparks. 

It was hard for him to believe that one as admired as Soundwave would feel anything for him but when Soundwave offered him his spark, Brawn was more than happy to offer his back. 

Knowing that the elite functionalists of the council would not approve of their pairing, Brawn and Soundwave kept their relationship a secret. In their eyes, Soundwave was far above someone like Brawn and deserved much better. 

They had to hide the fact that they had conceived twin sparks. The disapproval of their relationship aside, the council had ruled centuries ago that all sparklings were to be turned over to Vector Sigma upon creation. Raising a hatchling took time, and was a distraction from one’s duties. It was best that the government raise them so that they could be trained and placed in jobs that best suited them. 

Soundwave refused to give his creations up. It wasn’t until their hatchlings had emerged and started chirping that they were discovered and then they were reported. 

The Peace Keepers came. 

They fought to keep their hatchlings but in the end, their hatchlings were taken and they were left broken. Soundwave’s vocals were damaged and his face was scarred beyond repair. His career was over, but it was the loss of his hatchlings that devastated him the most. 

Brawn took a job in the mines to support them while Soundwave slipped deeper into depression. The mines were a dark and dreary place, full of bots who had lost heart long ago. But, one among them started preaching that they deserved better and that the council must be stopped. 

He made so many promises in his speeches, including the promise to find the hatchling and sparklings that had been taken, rallying the workers in the mines. It gave Soundwave hope and a reason to live. So, Brawn joined them and the revolution had begun. 

They were making good headway, disrupting trade and making the lives of the pampered elite a little less comfortable. But then, Megatron disappeared, believed to be dealt with by the council. Without their leader, the revolution fell apart. 

Centuries passed and, because of the revolution, the elite made life for the lower class even more difficult. The Peace Keepers’ numbers more than doubled and anyone even perceived stepping out of line was met with extreme prejudice. 

All hope of finding their stolen hatchlings seemed to be lost and Soundwave remained in a deep state of depression, going off line for several cycles at a time. Brawn feared that if something wasn’t done, he would lose his bonded as well. 

Whispers from the underground started to surface that Megatron had returned, stronger than before. Brawn had to see for himself and, after his shift in the mines, followed a group of bots to where Megatron was hiding. The fear that it could be a trap, set by the council, tugged at the back of his mind, but he felt that he had nothing else to lose. 

But there he was, standing strong, ready to lead the revolution once again. “Will you join me?” Megatron called out and the gathered Cybertronians cheered. 

“Do you still promise to find our stolen creations?” Brawn called out over the crowd. 

Megatron’s optics fell on him. “The elite took your sparkling.”

“Hatchlings,” Brawn corrected. “My bonded, Soundwave, is so torn up by it that he can barely function.”

“Soundwave…,” Megatron said, his interest piqued. “I have heard of him. Talented in both song and reading a crowd.”

“Sadly, when they took our hatchlings, Soundwave’s voice was damaged,” Brawn told them. “He can no longer sing, but I know it would help him greatly if you were to get our hatchlings back.” 

“Take me to him,” Megatron said. 

“That would not be wise,” the monocular bot standing beside him declared. “You are wanted by the council. We are not yet ready for them to know you have returned.”

“It will be worth it,” Megatron replied, “if I can save his conjunx and bring him to our side.” 

Brawn led them to the small hovel he called home. Soundwave was sitting in the corner. The dim glow of his visor the only indication that he was online. Brawn rushed to his side and clutched Soundwave’s hand in both of his. “Megatron is back. We have reason to hope again.”

Megatron smiled. “I assure you, I will not rest until you are reunited with your hatchlings. I will bring justice to all who have been wronged by the council.”

Soundwave looked up at Megatron. A gleam in his visor told Brawn that Soundwave was reading the revolutionist, scanning his surface thoughts. His visor flared, a sign of intense emotion, before getting to his feet. “I will serve you.”

Once again, they fought, doing all that they could to disrupt the council. Only this time, there was something different. There was malice in their actions and they quickly turned violent. 

Soundwave’s skills of reading others proved to be invaluable and he rose through the ranks. Soundwave, along Shockwave and a liberated Seeker named Starscream, became Megatron’s highest ranking generals in the growing Decepticon army. 

Together they eventually achieved their goal. The council was defeated, the one calling himself Prime was no more. It wasn’t long after their victory that it became clear that Megatron wanted more. He didn’t want to just overthrow the council, he wanted to make himself the new ruler. 

Brawn watched in horror as Megatron callously killed anyone who stood against him. What was worse was that Soundwave didn’t seem to care, remaining a loyal general. 

“This isn’t what we wanted,” Brawn said to Soundwave, once they were alone. 

“Sacrifices must be made, to achieve victory,” Soundwave replied. “At this point it is either kill or be killed.”

“We had our victory,” Brawn argued, “but this is not what we wanted. He got rid of the council and is going to replace it with a dictatorship. We’re replacing one evil with another.”

“There are still obstacles to overcome,” Soundwave stated. “A new Prime has come forth, claiming to have the Matrix. I will not serve another Prime. I still believe in the Decepticon cause and Megatron is close to finding our hatchlings.”

“I cannot do this anymore,” Brawn pleaded. 

“I know.” Soundwave knelt down so that he was level with Brawn. “When this war is truly over, I hope we can find each other again.” He removed his faceplate to reveal is damaged face and leaned in to touch his helm to Brawn’s. “Until then, I will miss you.”

“I will always love you,” Brawn replied. 

…..

Earth was the first planet where they were able to start negotiations while the civilization was not unified. There were concerns that there would be conflict between nations over the advantages the Autobots brought them, both tactical and scientific. 

In time, several land bridges had been built in many different countries across the globe, allowing humans access to the Autobot ship. Scientists and government officials from around the world were making frequent visits. 

The Autobots helped the humans in many ways and in return, were able to gain access to the resources needed to repair their ship and make energon. The space bridge was almost complete, and they had a good stockpile of fuel. 

It was a delicate situation best left for the diplomats among them. Brawn was not one of them. He was a simple soldier and stayed as far away from all of that as possible. Prime told him where to go, who to hit, and Brawn would do his best to see it done. Brawn’s job? Protect the humans from the Decepticons and he did this without hesitation. 

That was, until he saw Rumble and Frenzy. 

He knew Megatron had kept his promise to Soundwave and had found them. Megatron made sure that the news had spread. He wanted everyone to know what he had done. Rumor had it that they had been liberated from a different mining colony than the one where Brawn had been assigned. 

Before arriving on Earth, his assignments in the war had kept Brawn away from where Soundwave was stationed. It wasn’t because of his past relationship with Soundwave, Prime didn’t know about it, it was simply chance. It made fighting in a war against him a little easier. 

When he took the post on the Ark, he had no idea it would bring him so close to his bonded. It was hard enough to be sent out to fight Soundwave but when those two cassettes ejected, Brawn wanted to just turn and leave. How could he fight the ones he loved the most; the reason he was fighting at all?

He was tempted to ask for a reassignment but that would require an explanation. That was something he did not want to give. 

“The knuckle head’s gonna bring the whole mountain down,” Ironhide complained. 

Rumble was doing what he did best, using his pistons to cause the ground to shake. He didn’t have to worry about his fellow Decepticons, they could fly. The Autobots, however, were having a hard time keeping their feet. 

The Decepticons were trying to get at an ore deep within the mountain. The unusual seismic activity brought on by their mining is what alerted the Autobots to the Decepticons’ activities. There was no telling how much they had managed to collect before they had been discovered. 

“The best way to stop him is to take him out,” Bluestreak said as he took aim in a relatively stable spot. 

Brawn wasn’t about to let that happen. “On it,” he said, transforming to speed towards Rumble. It was easier to stay upright on four wheels than to try running. 

“I meant me shooting him,” Bluestreak called out after him. “Not you… hitting him, you lug head.”

Putting on an extra boost of speed, Brawn transformed at the last second and collided with Rumble. They fell into the cave opening and tumbled down the uneven terrain into a fissure that had been caused by Rumble’s pistons. 

It opened up into a small dark cavern and the two of them hit the ground with a crash. Brawn got to his feet and turned on his headlights in time to see Rumble’s piston heading straight for his head. With one hand, Brawn grabbed the piston, absorbing the blow. 

The look of surprise that splayed across Rumble’s face was almost comical. Brawn smirked, “Where did you think you got all your strength, kid?” and pushed Rumble back with little effort. 

Clearly confused, Rumble took a step back. “What?”

“Soundwave didn’t tell you about me,” Brawn said, nodding his head. “Of course he wouldn’t.”

“You?” Rumble said softly, looking Brawn over. “Who are you?”

“My name’s Brawn,” he replied. “I’m your sire.”

“Megatron refers to you as ‘the traitor’,” Rumble stated, taking a step back. “Soundwave is forbidden to talk about you.”

Brawn nodded his head. “That fits and I’m not surprised.”

“You left, to serve a Prime,” Rumble said and there was accusation in his voice. “How can you serve someone like him?”

“Because I couldn’t serve a monster like Megatron,” Brawn countered. “Not after what I witnessed him do.”

“There is nothing Megatron has done that could ever compare to the atrocities of the Primes,” Rumble argued. 

The sound of someone coming had them both looking up. “Looks like our reunion is about to end,” Brawn said. “Do you think it’s an Autobot or a Decepticon?”

Rumble didn’t have time to answer. Soundwave landed and Brawn didn’t know if he should be relieved or worried. It was the first time they had seen each other since Brawn had left the Decepticons. 

“We are retreating,” Soundwave said, keeping his optics on Brawn and opening his compartment. “Rumble, return.”

Without delay, Rumble transformed and entered Soundwave’s chassis. Before Soundwave could leave, Brawn grabbed hold of his hand. “I still love you. I haven’t given up hope on us.”

“I love you too,” Soundwave replied, turning his hand so that their fingers intertwined. 

“You’ve got Rumble and Frenzy back now, come back to the Ark with me,” Brawn pleaded. 

Soundwave pulled his hand free from Brawn’s. “I will not serve a Prime.”

It was the reply Brawn had expected, but he had to try. Soundwave blamed the Primes for taking Rumble and Frenzy from him in the first place. He was going to fight for the Decepticon cause until the end. There was a bitter hatred for Prime that helped him to look past any evils Megatron had wrought. 

“They fell down here,” Bluestreak’s voice echoed down into the chamber. 

“Brawn, buddy, you okay?” Ironhide’s voice followed.

“Get out of here,” Brawn said in a harsh whisper. “Quickly. Fly past them as fast as you can.”

With a tight nod, Soundwave pressed something into the palm of Brawn’s hand before taking to the air. Brawn closed off his optics and hoped for the best. He could hear the commotion above; shouts of alarm mixed with gun fire as Soundwave flew past. A curse from Ironhide told him that Soundwave had made it past and Brawn felt a wave of relief wash over him. 

“Get me out of here,” Brawn called up to them. “I can’t fly like he can.”

“It’s good to hear that you’re okay,” Ironhide called back. “Any damage?”

“It’ll take more that those two to take me out,” Brawn hollered. “I’m made of sterner stuff.”

“Hang tight, buddy,” Ironhide said. “Help is on its way.”

“I used to be a miner, I’m used to being stuck down in a hole for extended periods of time,” Brawn quipped, looking down at the item in his hand. “Now, what in Primus’ name is this thing?”

“A closed communicator,” Soundwave replied over the device. “Keep it close. I’ll be in touch.”

“I look forward to it,” Brawn said before hiding the device in his chest cavity, close to his spark. 

……

 

The screams from Blaster’s adopted hatchling echoed through the corridors. According to the communication’s officer, the hatchling knew that Blaster was not its carrier and was calling out for Skywarp. Blaster assured them that it would eventually get used to him and settle down. 

Brawn remembered when Rumble and Frenzy were hatchlings and the sweet little chirps they made when they wanted their carrier. They cried, much like Skywarp’s hatchling was at the moment, when they were taken from Soundwave. It was painful to hear. Not because of the pitch or volume but because the cries were filled with so much sorrow. 

Brawn watched as Blaster tried to calm the little hatchling. 

“I’m trying to calm him,” Blaster said apologetically. 

Shaking his head, Brawn held up a hand. “I’m not here to complain. It’s just been a while since I’ve seen a hatchling.”

“This is the first one I’ve held,” Blaster admitted. “I wasn’t there when my hatchlings emerged. By the time I got home, the Peace Keepers were there. I heard their cries but I didn’t get to see them.”

“It’s hard,” Brawn said, nodding his head in understanding as he took a seat next to Blaster. 

Blaster held an energon stick out for the hatchling. The poor thing was starting to tire from all of its crying. “Megatron found Soundwave’s hatchlings,” Blaster stated, keeping his eyes on the hatchling. 

“And, Prime will find yours,” Brawn stated, leaving no room for doubt. “Aside from Rumble and Frenzy, no one seems to know what happened to the sparklings and hatchlings that had been taken from your kind.”

“What did the council do with them?” Blaster said as his optics flared with emotion. “What was it about Rumble and Frenzy that they were spared that fate?” It crushed Brawn to not be able to give him an answer. 

The hatchling settled, taking the energon stick into its intake. As it worked on the stick, Brawn looked the hatchling over. He could see the wing buds on its back, a sure sign that it will be a flyer and probably a Seeker. It was rare for a Seeker to not produce a Seeker. Brawn knew of only a pair of brothers whose sire’s land based CNA proved to be more dominant. 

“Do you think he’ll have Skywarp’s ability?” Brawn asked. 

Blaster shrugged. “If I remember correctly, Seeker offspring take on the abilities of their sire, if there are any to have. But, it’s not unheard of for the carrier’s abilities to pass to the hatchling.”

Spike poked his head through the open doorway. “I don’t hear any crying. I was wondering if I can get a look at the baby Cybertronian.”

“We call them hatchlings,” Blaster corrected, lowering the hatchling so Spike could get a better look. 

“I’m still bummed that I wasn’t here for when he hatched.” Tilting his head, Spike looked up and shifted his gaze between Blaster and Brawn before looking at the hatchling again. “He looks nothing like any of your kind I’ve seen before.”

“That’s because he’s hasn’t started taking form yet,” Brawn told him. “As he grows, his CNA and transforming cog will start causing his body to shift. We’ll start seeing signs of what his alt-mode will be and his outer armor will start to grow.”

“His face is weird,” Spike pointed out. 

“That will change too,” Blaster said with a slight chuckle. “Soft metal will form over his features and he will either form a face plate or the intake will move back and a mouth will form.”

“Wait,” Spike interrupted. “So, Prime and Wheeljack don’t have mouths?”

“Some wear face plates over their mouths like Prime,” Blaster explained. “While those like Wheeljack have no mouths under their face plates, just and intake.”

“Fascinating,” Spike said, turning his attention back to the hatchling. “So, what’s his name?”

“We’re not gonna name him until he develops more and his personality starts to come through,” Brawn answered. 

“Oh,” Spike replied as he continued to watch the hatchling. 

The communications device that Soundwave had given to Brawn vibrated and Brawn all but jumped to his feet. “I just remembered that I… have to be somewhere.” It was the best he could come up with to explain his need to leave and he hoped that they wouldn’t start asking questions. 

“Alright,” Blaster said. “Thanks for the help.”

“Any time,” Brawn replied as he headed out the door. 

Brawn quickly made his way off the ark, transforming the moment he was outside. After a few moments, he opened the communications link. “Hey. I’m alone, so I’m free to talk.”

“Meet me,” Soundwave replied. 

“Where,” Brawn asked. “I’m off the ship so I don’t have access to a land bridge.”

“I’ll come to you,” Soundwave answered. “Find somewhere secluded.”

“Can do,” Brawn said as his excitement over seeing Soundwave again had his energon surging through his systems. “I know the perfect place.”

He drove to an area deep within the desert where there was a series of caves. The humans didn’t usually come to these caves due to the lack of beauty and dangerous levels of carbon buildup inside. Brawn enjoyed exploring them in his down time. He selected one with a large opening and waited just inside the entrance. “I’m here.”

A land bridge opened and Soundwave walked through. Brawn’s spark seemed to jump. It had been too long since they had been alone together. He was nervous, excited, and fearful all at the same time. 

Soundwave was just as eager to see Brawn. Emotion flared in his visor as he ran forward. Dropping to his knees, Soundwave collided with Brawn. The force of the impact was easily absorbed by Brawn’s stout form. He embraced his bonded, wishing for nothing more than for time to stop. 

“We should go deeper,” Soundwave stated, as he got to his feet. 

Brawn nodded his head. “This way. I know these caves well.” He guided Soundwave through a series of tunnels, keeping his headlights on as they moved further away from the opening. “Did you bring Rumble and Frenzy?”

“They are in stasis,” Soundwave answered, tapping on his chest. He reached out and ran the tips of his fingers along Brawns back. “I want some time alone with you first.”

“Oh?” Brawn smiled and looked up at his bonded. “It has been a while.”

“It has,” Soundwave agreed. 

“For us,” Brawn added and attempted to read Soundwave’s face. 

“I have not interfaced with anyone else,” Soundwave said as a matter of fact. 

Brawn let out a sigh of relief. “Neither have I.”

“I know,” Soundwave replied. 

“Stop reading my mind,” Brawn teased. 

“But your thoughts are so loud,” Soundwave teased back. “You are practically projecting them at me.”

“Oh yeah?” Brawn stopped in a cavern and with a smirk on his face, turned to face Soundwave. “What am I thinking now?”

Removing his face mask, Soundwave leaned down and pressed his mouth against Brawn’s. It was strange and awkward at first but pleasant. When they parted, Brawn smiled up at Soundwave. “You’ve had the upgrades.”

“Megatron insisted all Decepticons have them,” Soundwave replied. 

“I’ve had them too,” Brawn stated. “But, Prime left the decision to us.” It was one of the main differences between the two leaders who fought for the same thing. One wanted to control a world of equality while the other wanted freedom for all.

“If you are not interfacing with anyone else, why did you get the upgrades?” Soundwave simply asked. 

“Over three million years without being able to interface with you,” Brawn replied with a shrug, deciding to answer truthfully. “I got the upgrades because they made it possible to self-pleasure.” He hesitated for a moment before asking, “If you’re not interfacing with anyone else, where did the other cassettes come from?”

“They are not my sparklings,” Soundwave answered. “I cannot tell you anything more than that.”

Brawn nodded. “Fair enough.” Moving closer to Soundwave, Brawn managed to relax. “I’ve missed you.”

“I have missed you too,” Soundwave replied. 

“This is gonna be different,” Brawn mumbled as he removed his modesty plating. His spike was already partly aroused at the prospect of interfacing and his valve pulsated with anticipation. “I don’t know which one I want to use,” he admitted. “The stimulation for each is different but both are satisfying.”

“Lie back and part your legs,” Soundwave said as he removed his plating. 

“I like it when you take charge.” Brawn smiled as he lay on the hard ground. 

Soundwave moved on top of him, settling between his legs and rubbed his spike along the outer lips of Brawn’s valve. “I know.” Shifting his hips, Soundwave placed the tip of his spike inside Brawn’s valve and then slowly penetrated deep. 

Being that Soundwave was larger in frame, he also had a large spike. It stretched Brawn, testing his compacity and he loved every moment of it. Even though it was a new way of interfacing it was also familiar. 

‘Time can stop now,’ Brawn thought. It was this moment that he wanted to be frozen in forever. 

“I want a sparkling,” Soundwave husked as he continued to thrust into Brawn. 

“Don’t you think Megatron will get suspicious if you suddenly have a new hatchling,” Brawn said. 

Soundwave stopped moving and looked down at Brawn. “Megatron knows I am here.” Brawn looked up in disbelief. “I do not have to hide from him,” Soundwave stated. 

Even though Soundwave had stopped moving, there were still surges of pleasure from being connected. Brawn opened his vents in an attempt to cool himself as he tried to clear his mind. “As soon as we’re done, a team of Seekers isn’t gonna come flying in here to kill me. Are they?”

“I would not allow that,” Soundwave insisted. “Megatron wants to keep my loyalty. I am too valuable to him. He knows he has tested me far too many times in the recent months. He would not dare take this opportunity to harm you.”

Brawn reached up and placed his hands on Soundwave’s chest. “What has he done to you?”

“Please.” Soundwave pulled out and moved down so that his face was level with Brawn’s. “Let’s not waste these moments talking about Megatron.”

“I don’t really want my sparkling raised around him,” Brawn argued. “It’s hard enough as it is.”

“I need this,” Soundwave pleaded. 

Brawn ran his fingers along the scars on Soundwave’s face. It pained him to hear such sorrow in his bonded’s voice. “Okay.” Brawn nodded. 

Moving back up, Soundwave continued to thrust inside of Brawn. An overload was needed for a spark touch to be possible and Soundwave was determined to make that happen. 

Brawn was the first to overload, his optics flaring to the point of blindness and the surge of Brawn’s overload triggered Soundwave’s. The larger bot staggered in his movements as he was overcome with pleasure. 

Taking only a moment to recover, Soundwave wasted little time pulling out of Brawn to prepare for the spark touch. Soundwave’s kind was unique. The storage compartment on his chest made it impossible to access his spark, so it had to be done through the back. 

Soundwave sat down with his back to Brawn and opened his back panel. It was a beautiful sight. Soundwave’s spark was bright, warm, and welcoming. Brawn’s spark felt like it would burn its way out, just to connect with Soundwave’s. 

Despite his reservations, Brawn opened his chest plate and pressed himself against Soundwave. The world fell away and they were locked together in that moment. It was bliss. In that moment, they were one and there was no one else. 

When their sparks receded back into their protective casings, Brawn allowed himself to fall to the ground. Creating a new sparkling was exhausting. 

They lay in silence, surrounded by darkness while they allowed their bodies to cool. Their hands found each other in the dark and that simple moment was the best Brawn had had in over a millennium. 

“Let’s just run away,” Brawn said into the darkness. 

“Rumble is the sire of Starscream’s hatchlings,” Soundwave replied. 

With a sense of pride, Brawn turned on his headlights and sat up. “Really?” Then he felt a great wave of dread. “Starscream was involved with Megatron. I know he wasn’t happy with it. I saw those two hatchlings. What happened to Rumble?”

“He was punished,” Soundwave answered as he sat up.

“Is this what you were talking about earlier?” Brawn shifted his position so that he could look at Soundwave directly. “Is that how Megatron tested your loyalties?” 

Looking away, Soundwave answered, “Yes.”

Not wanting to ruin the moment with an argument, Brawn let the matter drop, for now. Instead, he placed his hand on Soundwave’s chest compartment. “Can I see them now?”

Soundwave nodded. 

The pair got up and reattached their modesty plating, and Soundwave replaced his face plate before ejecting the twins. At first, they stayed back, studying Brawn from a distance. But then, Frenzy stepped forward. 

Brawn held up his hand and pointed to it with the other. “Let’s see how strong you are.”

Frenzy placed his hand against Brawn’s and the two started pushing against each other. “That’s good,” Brawn praised him. “I’m actually having to put effort into this.”

“Don’t test me, old man,” Frenzy said with a playful smirk. 

Brawn chuckled. “That is exactly what I am doing.”

“Alright.” Frenzy’s smile widened as he pulled his hand back and transformed it into his piston. “Test this.”

“Frenzy!” Soundwave called out but the piston was already in motion. 

Brawn took the hit with a grunt but otherwise stayed on his feet. “That takes a little more effort to stop.” Frenzy took a step back as Brawn shook the feeling back into his hand. 

“Did he hurt you?” Soundwave asked, looking Brawn over. 

Brawn shook his head. “A little shaken but I’m okay.” He looked Frenzy over. “Do you have any other talents?”

“He’s got this scream that will frazzle your sensors for a while,” Rumble replied. 

“You don’t gotta demonstrate that one,” Brawn said with a laugh. “I’m glad you boys are back with Soundwave. I know having you two with him means a lot.”

“Why’d you decide to leave and side with a Prime?” Frenzy asked, genuinely curious. 

“I saw what Megatron was capable of,” Brawn answered. “The things I witnessed… I couldn’t fight for a guy like that. When I left, I didn’t go straight to Prime. I was like you and hated the whole station. It wasn’t until much later after I saw that he wasn’t like the other Primes that I decided to fight for him.”

The silence dragged on for a moment before Frenzy blurted out, “I want to go with Brawn.”

“What?” the others said, almost in unison. 

“No,” Soundwave said, reaching out for Frenzy but the smaller bot stepped out of Soundwave’s reach. 

Rumble scoffed in disgust. “You wanna join the Autobots? What is wrong with you?”

“No,” Frenzy said defensively. “I’m just gonna use them as a barrier between me and Megatron. How can you, of all people wanna stay anywhere near him?”

“Don’t do this” Brawn said. 

Frenzy looked at Brawn. “Why? Would the Autobots hurt me? Is everything Megatron said true?”

“I don’t know what Megatron’s told you,” Brawn said as he took a step towards Frenzy. “No one would hurt you. They would question your motives, maybe keep you in holding as a precaution but you would not be harmed.”

“Then why shouldn’t I go with you?” Frenzy asked and his voice trembling a little. 

“Because of how it would affect Soundwave,” Brawn answered. “The first time he lost you it nearly destroyed him.”

“But he’ll know where I am this time,” Frenzy argued. “He’ll know that I am safe with you.” Shaking his head, Frenzy took a step back. “No one on the Nemesis likes me. I’m in stasis most of the time because we can’t spare the energon. And, most of all…, I’m afraid of Megatron. I’ve seen him rip a bot apart, down to his protoform before pulling out his spark with his bare hands.”

Torn between wanting to keep his hatchling safe and knowing that loosing Frenzy would devastate Soundwave, Brawn could think of nothing to say. He looked up at Soundwave, waiting to hear his response and would support any decision he made. 

“No one move,” a voice called out from the darkness. Brawn turned to see Ironhide aiming his gun at them. Ironhide’s optics narrowed. “What’s going on?”

Ironhide was soon joined by Bluestreak and Jazz. Both had their weapons drawn and pointed at them. Brawn held out his hand. “Please. Wait. What are you doing here?”

“We detected the Decepticon land bridge and came to investigate,” Jazz answered. “This wasn’t what we were expecting to find.”

“You planning on switching sides again, Brawn?” Bluestreak asked. While his relationship with Soundwave was something Brawn had never told anyone, he had been open from the beginning about his former alliance with the Decepticons. “Or have you been a spy all along?”

“No,” Brawn said, shaking his head. “That’s not what’s happening.” 

“Then what?” Ironhide demanded. 

“We just wanted to spend some time together,” Brawn admitted in desperation, “away from this war. We’d been apart for so long. I just wanted to get to know my sparklings.”

“You and Soundwave?” Jazz said in disbelief, taking a step back. “You’re Rumble and Frenzy’s sire?”

Brawn nodded his head and defiantly replied, “Yeah I am.” He had to stop himself from adding, ‘What of it?’

Bluestreak threw his hands up in the air. “That’s why you jumped Rumble instead of letting me shoot him.” He pointed at his gun. “I was only gonna stun him.”

Hesitantly, Ironhide lowered his gun. “Why didn’t you tell any of us?”

“I… was afraid none of you would trust me,” Brawn answered. 

“You thought sneaking around was better?” Ironhide chided. 

Brawn balked and then mumbled, “Thinking isn’t my strongest suit.”

Soundwave placed a reassuring hand on Brawn’s shoulder. He never liked it when Brawn was made to feel inferior. 

“You’re not the only one with loved ones fighting for the Decepticons,” Jazz pointed out. “We would have understood and worked things out.”

“Will you let them leave, unharmed?” Brawn pleaded to his fellow Autobots. 

Ironhide nodded. “They can leave but then we have to go back to the Ark and report this to Prime.”

“Alright,” Brawn agreed and then turned to his family. “Go on.” It pained him not knowing when he would see them again.

Soundwave opened his compartment. “Rumble, Frenzy, return.”

Rumble transformed and flew into the compartment but Frenzy did not. When Soundwave looked at him, Frenzy took a step towards Brawn. “I’m staying.”

Closing his compartment, Soundwave gave a slight nod. To the others, it looked like Soundwave was simply walking away but Brawn could see the spark break in every step. He decided that he couldn’t support Soundwave’s decision after all. He turned to Frenzy. “Go.”

Frenzy shook his head. 

“He will keep you safe,” Brawn insisted. “Megatron needs him and won’t risk losing him by doing something to you. Soundwave needs your strength and I need you to make sure he makes it through this war. Please. Go.”

With a stiff nod, Frenzy agreed and then trotted off after Soundwave. As Frenzy approached, Soundwave turned and opened his compartment. Leaping into the air, Frenzy transformed and slipped inside. 

Brawn watched his family leave and wished to Primus that this war would just end.


	5. Rumble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After this one, I'm done.

One of his earliest memories was of someone saying that his capacity was too low and that his brawny structure was not suitable for what his alt-mode intended him for. So, he and his brother were taken to have piledrivers forcibly fitted to their arms and then tossed into the mines. 

There, Rumble and Frenzy spent their early years, toiling away at rock to get at the precious minerals underneath. Their sturdy structure proved to be beneficial down in the mines. Though they were small, they were not easily pushed around. The other miners quickly learned not to mess with them. 

They stayed close together, watching each other’s back and making sure they each got their daily ration of energon. Soon, whispers started about a revolution and many rushed to join. However, Rumble and Frenzy chose to stay in the only place they had ever known. It wasn’t perfect but at least they had a steady supply of energon. 

It wasn’t long before the revolution reached the mines. The overseers tried to fight off the invaders but they were quickly overwhelmed. Not wanting to get caught up in the crossfire, Rumble and Frenzy stayed back, tucked into a small cranny in the rock wall. They didn’t care what happened to the others, as long as they were able to stay together. 

When the commotion stopped, the twins ventured out to see what was left. That was when they first saw Megatron. Frozen in terror, they could only watch in horror as Megatron ripped the spark out of one of the overseers. 

Then his optics turned on them. They stumbled back in an attempt to flee but fear had them immobilized. Megatron loomed over them and a slight smile appeared on his face. “Soundwave, come see what I have found.”

The moment Soundwave came into view, Rumble knew him. All fear fell away and Rumble got to his feet to run towards him with Frenzy not too far behind. Soundwave dropped to his knees to embrace them. Pressing their helms together, they held each other as tightly as they dared. 

“I keep my promises,” Megatron said, his voice causing Rumble to shiver. 

“Thank you,” Soundwave replied, causing Rumble and Frenzy to look up in confusion. Though the hum of the spark was familiar, this was not the voice they knew. 

As if sensing their confusion, Soundwave explained, “My voice was damaged when they took you from me.”

“We have to go, Soundwave,” Megatron ordered. “There is no doubt that the Peace Keepers are on their way.”

Rumble lets out a mournful whimper and held Soundwave tighter as the larger bot tried to stand. He didn’t want to part with Soundwave just yet. 

“You misunderstand,” Megatron said, placing his hand on Rumble’s shoulder. “The two of you are the reason we are here. We are not leaving without you.”

Soundwave stood and the compartment in his chest opened. Instinctively, Rumble knew what to do. He and his brother leapt into the air and, for the first time in centuries, transformed. They easily slipped into their creator’s chassis. There, Rumble was filled with a sense of comfort and a soft, familiar song echoed in his mind as he drifted into stasis. 

 

……

 

Starscream needed some heavy lifting done in his lab so Megatron sent Rumble to help. When the mini-con entered the lab, the three seekers looked down at him. It was the first time he had seen seekers up close. The rumors of their beauty were true and he finally understood why they were the most desired of all Cybertronians. 

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” Starscream sneered. 

“My name’s, Rumble. Megatron sent me to help,” Rumble explained with a cocky grin. “He said you need something moved?”

The three seekers burst out in laughter. Skywarp moved closer to Rumble, getting down on one knee so that he was at eye level. “Has Megatron lost his mind? If the three of us can’t move it,” he jabbed his finger against Rumble’s chest, “how is a runt like you supposed to?”

With his hands on his hips, Rumble glared up at the three seekers. “I’m stronger than I look,” he said, inciting another round of laughter. Angered, Rumble yelled, “What do you know. The three of you are nothing more than pampered play things!”

Their laughter stopped and Rumble almost regretted his words. “You dare,” Thundercracker snarled. “We’re your superiors.” He moved to kick Rumble, but the small bot caught hold of Thundercracker’s foot. The look on Thundercracker’s face was comical. To help emphasize his point, Rumble effortlessly tossed Thundercracker aside. 

“Do you want me to move the thing or not?”

Starscream considered Rumble for a moment while Thundercracker picked himself up off the floor. Pointing to a large block of gold, Starscream said, “Some idiot placed that thing in the middle of my lab. I need it moved to that corner over there, and out of my way.”

“Over there?” Rumble clarified, pointing in the direction of an empty corner. 

“Yeah,” Starscream replied, crossing his arms. “Think you can handle that?”

“Not a problem,” Rumble said as he made his way over. 

“And I want it picked up and placed in the corner,” Starscream added, “not dragged across the floor.” 

“Sure thing.” Digging his fingers into the soft metal, Rumble got a good hold of it and lifted it up off the floor. He was unable to see anything around the large brick so he carefully made his way over to the corner of the room.

“I can’t believe it,” Starscream said in quiet amazement as he watched Rumble carry the brick. A smile spread across his lips. “I think I’ve found my new assistant to do all the heavy lifting for me.”

“With benefits?” Rumble said. When the brick came in contact with the wall, Rumble knew he had gone far enough and put it down. 

“What?” Starscream said with a slight chuckle. 

Rumble turned to face the triad with a huge grin on his face. “You guys are driven to interface, right?” He spread his arms out, hoping that it was enough to indicate that he was available. 

“We’re driven to find the perfect spark mate,” Starscream corrected, “testing several before making our decision.”

“We’re selective,” Skywarp added. 

“We only go for the best,” Thundercracker concluded. “Those with traits we would want to pass down to our sparklings.”

Starscream smiled as he made his way over to Rumble. “What would you have to offer?”

Rumble pointed to the gold brick behind him. “I’m strong. Imagine one of you pretty little birds with my strength and durability.” He would never admit it but he had no idea how a sparkling was created. He hoped that if this line of conversation went any further that he would be able to bluff his way out of it. 

“His name’s Ramjet,” Thundercracker laughed. “Though, I will admit that he is not as strong as you.”

“And he’s about as dumb as a pile of rocks,” Skywarp said, joining in the laughter.

Starscream shrugged. “It seems that one is blessed with either one or the other. I would rather my sparklings be smart over strong.”

“Look,” Rumble scoffed, “I’m not looking to sire any sparklings. I just wanna frag.”

Starscream’s lip curled in disgust. “In your dreams, runt.”

……

 

Any time Starscream needed heavy lifting done or something pounded flat, he would request Rumble. Over the centuries, Rumble spent most of the time that he was out of stasis, in Starscream’s lab. 

Rumble liked to stroke Starscream’s ego and watch the way the seekers wings shifted. There was so much emotion in the subtle movements. Starscream would vocalize one thing but the movement of his wings would say another. Rumble wondered if Megatron ever cared enough to notice. 

Rumble had always openly flirted with Starscream, as long as Megatron wasn’t around. It was playful at first, never meaning anything more than a joke. Starscream would scoff, in response and tell Rumble that there was no chance of anything happening between them. 

But, as more time passed, Rumble’s flirtations became a little more genuine while Starscream’s reactions became less dismissive. Though Starscream’s words said that Rumble didn’t have a chance, his wings said otherwise. After about a million years, Rumble fell in love. 

Their battle for Earth and its resources meant they would be stuck on the organic rock for an undetermined amount of time. Starscream was tasked with the burden of developing energon from Earth’s resources. Rumble was assigned to help him. His piledrivers were often used for their intended task, digging up precious minerals hidden below the surface. 

When they weren’t fighting the Autobots, they were working on increasing their supply of energon. What they managed to make, tasted like slag but at least it provided sustained energy for them. 

During down times, in order to conserve energon, Rumble and Frenzy ordered into stasis. They remained tucked away in Soundwave’s chassis until they were needed. Rumble hated it. Each time he was put back into stasis, he had no idea how long he would be there.

The longest they had ever been in stasis was just under half a million years. It was early on in the war when resources were scarce. For him, that time passed in a moment. 

Each time he came out he would look around and ask, “How long as it been?”

“Six months,” Soundwave replied. 

Momentarily confused, Rumble looked up at his creator. Was this planet so influential to them that they started using their measurement of time? Looking off to the side, he had to take a minute to calculate it in his head. “That’s not too bad. I guess,” he mumbled to himself before looking back up at Soundwave. “I’m I needed for something?”

“Starscream has requested your assistance,” Soundwave answered. 

“I guess I’ll go see what he needs then,” Rumble said before heading off towards Starscream’s lab.

Rumble entered the lab to see Starscream, irritated and pacing the room. “You needed me for something?” Rumble said announcing himself. 

“Yeah,” Starscream stopped pacing and looked around the room. “I need you to… flatten some things.”

“You alright?” Rumble asked, looking Starscream over. “You seem a little… out of sorts.”

“I’m fine.” Starscream waved him off. “Megatron’s only been gone for a month.”

“Where did he go?” Rumble asked, wondering why Megatron’s long absence would bother Starscream so much. 

“Shockwave sent him a message,” Starscream said with a touch of venom in his voice. “Next thing I know, Megatron is depleting our energon reserves to activate the space bride and go to Cybertron with the constructicons.” Starscream sat down with his back against the wall. “Megatron’s punishing me.”

Rumble shrugged. “I thought you would be glad he was gone.”

“I’m a seeker. His seeker,” Starscream said, as if it was supposed to explain his irritation. When Rumble shook his head to indicate that he didn’t understand, Starscream grunted in frustration. “We need to interface. If we go to long without it, it hurts. Megatron didn’t give me permission to interface with anyone else while he was away.”

“Why do you need to interface?” Rumble asked as he approached Starscream. There was an intense gleam in Starscream’s optics as he watched Rumble approach. 

Shaking his head, Starscream shrugged. “I don’t know. I wasn’t trained. My spark was removed from my creator and placed into Vector Sigma to mature. As soon as my spark was ready, it was placed into my custom seeker body. I was a senator’s personal seeker for the first half of my life, up until Megatron liberated me. I was too ashamed to ask Thundercracker or Skywarp.”

Rumble stood next to Starscream, placing his hand on the seeker’s knee and Starscream’s legs parted at the touch. “You want me to help?” Rumble offered, running his fingers down Starscream’s thigh. “I wouldn’t mind.”

Starscream jumped to his feet and moved away. “Like you could.”

“If you don’t want me to, why’d you tell me about it?” Rumble argued. 

“I don’t know,” Starscream replied, turning away. 

“Fine. Suffer,” Rumble said with a shrug. He noticed the way Starscream’s wings shifted. Maybe he wasn’t against the idea of an interface. He just wasn’t willing to admit it. “What do you need me to pound?”

Judging by the way his wings twitched, the innuendo wasn’t lost on the seeker. Starscream pointed to Rumble’s usual workstation. “I need you to pound those blocks of metal into thin, even, sheets.” Having given his orders, Starscream turned to his computer array. “I need to make some calculations.”

“Sure thing,” Rumble said. But, instead of heading to his workstation he walked up behind Starscream and placed his hand between the seeker’s legs. He knew it was a risky move but it was one that paid off. Starscream melted. 

He could feel the heat radiating through the modesty plating. Without a word, Starscream parted his legs a little more. So, that’s how he was going to play this. No words, just actions. 

Rumble made quick work removing Starscream’s modesty plating. His valve was already wet and swollen with need, and Rumble was at the perfect height to press his face against it and lick the sensitive node. He had never tasted anything sweeter in his life. 

Starscream whimpered, shifting his stance so that his aft was sticking further out, giving Rumble easier access. Rumble’s body was soon demanding an interface. Grabbing a nearby chair, Rumble jumped up it and remove the plating covering his spike. 

Even with the chair, Rumble had to stand on his toes to enter Starscream. He did the best he could with what little leverage he had. The more he thrust, the more the chair scooted back until he had no leverage at all. He tried to hold on to Starscream but ended up falling to the ground with a crash. 

Righting himself, Starscream turned and looked down at Rumble. “Idiot.”

Rumble was sure he had lost his chance and anticipated a barrage of insults. Much to Rumble’s surprise, the hungry seeker straddled him and continued the interface. Determined to leave Starscream satisfied, Rumble moved his hips in time with Starscream while thumbing his node. 

With his hand over his mouth in an attempt to muffle his cries of pleasure, Starscream’s optics flared as he ground himself against Rumble. 

Rumble had heard others talk about how interfacing with a seeker was an experience unlike any other. When his first ever overload hit, he felt like he had died and joined the All Spark. Now, he had no basis for comparison, but he couldn’t imagine anything better than what he was experiencing at the moment. 

His mind went numb as his spark burned and the rest of the world seemed to fall away. When his optics came back into focus, Starscream was looming over him. His beautiful face held a mix of surprise and satisfaction. Combine that with the amount of fluids coating Rumble’s legs, it was safe to assume that Starscream’s needs had been met. 

Slowly, Starscream’s face took on a look of indifference. Though his voice still shook a little from the exertion, he managed to regain his composure. “It would not be wise of you to boast about this encounter. Megatron would rip the armor from your protoform.”

Rumble shook his head. “I won’t say a word to anyone.”

“Good.” Starscream unsteadily got to his feet and reattached his plating. “Because, nothing happened.”

Sitting up, Rumble decided to give his body a moment to recover before trying to stand. “Did it help?”

“Nothing happened,” Starscream repeated. “Now stop talking and get to work.”

“Yeah, I get it,” Rumble mumbled as he struggled to get to his feet. After putting his plating back in place, Rumble got to work pounding the cubes of metal into sheets. While he worked, he would occasionally glance up to catch Starscream looking at him.


	6. Solution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have found a solution to my problem. I will no longer be adding chapters to this story but I will continue to write oneshots within this universe and keep them in a collection/series. So if anyone is interested, that's how it will be done. That way each oneshot will have its own view counter and kudos. 
> 
> Here I share with you possible OC/Sparkling names. I love coming up with this stuff. Feel free to use the names. I will probably add on to them as time goes by. 
> 
> I don't know if any of the names are already being used by others for their OCs. My goal was to find names that were not canon. I googled each to make sure they didn't pop up on TFWiki. So, as far as I know, none of them are.

Possible OC names

Caterwaul  
Brightwing  
Fidget  
Shift  
Starlight  
Glimmer  
Compactor  
Gibbous  
Stall  
Snowblossom  
Flameflower  
Stargleam  
Darksong  
Shadow  
Shade  
Shale  
Coral  
Downdraft  
Updraft  
Seafoam  
Abyss  
Darkabyss  
Sunflare  
Deathwaltz  
Treble  
Opal  
Chisel  
Harpoon

 

Gleam  
Tumble  
Faceted  
Twitch  
Modulator  
Twizzle – Snowmobile  
Darkflare  
Nightflare  
Cutter  
Turbulent  
Stormy  
Squally  
Squall  
Gale  
Galeforce  
Pico  
Yocto

 

Lugwing  
Frost  
Overture  
Opus  
Symphony  
Sonata  
Concerto  
Despoil  
Dazzle  
Icebreaker  
Morningstar  
Adamas  
Vale  
Nightvale


End file.
